Endings Are Just New Beginnings
by Pandaboo704
Summary: DeSoto and Gage's time as LA County Paramedics has ended. Will the end of their partnership, be the end of their friendship? What about the others at Station 51? They struggle with their changing roles, their changing relationships, and the changing dynamics of their lives. When the first female fire fighter/paramedic is placed with Captain John Gage, things really get complicated.
1. Chapter 1

Roy DeSoto stared at his blue eyes reflected back at him in the bathroom mirror. For the past seven years, he'd been working as a Paramedic for Los Angeles County, out of Station 51, with his partner John Gage. Today, that would all change.

"Good Morning, Captain," Joanne wrapped her arms around her husband's waist; kissing him on the back of his shoulder.

"I'm not a Captain, yet."

"You will be in just a couple of hours. I wish I could be there," Joanne said.

Roy turned to face her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "It's really a small thing, Joanne. No pomp and circumstance."

"Well, when you get home, we're gonna have a big, family celebration," Joanne said, wiping at a spot of shaving cream still near his ear.

Roy let his eyes dart to the side, just briefly. Joanne smiled. "We'll have Johnny over next week, so we can celebrate with him too; but tonight I just want it to be the four of us."

"I know. I'm sure Johnny has made plans to celebrate with one of the Rampart nurses," Roy smiled.

"What's he gonna do now that he won't be going to the hospital all the time to meet the new nurses?"

Roy shook his head, "I have no idea. But, I'm not worried about Johnny's ability to meet women."

"You'd better get dressed, Captain DeSoto, or I may make you late," Joanne tugged at Roy's towel.

"Tonight, after the kids are in bed," Roy smiled, wishing he could follow up on her flirty look.

He moved into the bedroom to start putting on his dress uniform.

E

Johnny ran his hand across his jawline, making sure he hadn't missed any spots with his razor. He used his towel to wipe the remaining shaving cream off his face. He listened as the ignitor caught on the water heater, starting to heat the water that had refilled the unit after his shower. He could hear the clock in his living room ticking by the seconds. Johnny pulled the towel off his waist and draped it over the shower bar. He meandered into his bedroom and started to dress. He paused as he buttoned his shirt, looking at his reflection in the mirror over his dresser. His role as a paramedic was over. Next week, he would take his place as the Captain over at Station 36. Instead of being the rescue man entering into a building being devoured by smoke and flames; he would be the man sending in those rescue men. Men that, as he had done with Captain Stanley, would be counting on his knowledge and experience to keep them safe. He knew that when it fully hit him, that responsibility would weigh heavy on his shoulders.

Johnny moved through his apartment and grabbed his wallet and keys out of the bowl on the table near the door as he exited. He made his way down to the Rover and started up the vehicle.

E

Johnny walked into the large classroom and looked around from the doorway. He spotted Roy sitting to the left of the podium in the front row. He walked up the hallway, waving at Craig Brice and Bob Bellingham. He slid into the seat next to Roy.

"Are you ready for this?" Johnny whispered quietly.

Roy smiled, but didn't reply as the Chief entered the room; moving to stand behind the wooden podium with the Seal of Los Angeles County on it and Fire Department written below.

" **Good Morning, this is an important day in your lives and department career. It's also an important day for the department and the service we provide. I'm not gonna give you a pep talk this morning, but I would like to express my feelings and expectations. I believe that the Captain assigned is a company officer in a key position in the department. The manner in which you preform, the leadership you provide, the image you project and the example you set are all parts of being a good Captain. You're both a team leader and a part of that team. Your success is the success of the department. Whether it be in the handling of an emergency incident or fire prevention and public education activities. You each bring with you, to this position, a variety of experience; use it and build on it as a base for your expanded responsibilities. It is now my pleasure to present to you, your badges of office. Will you please step forward as I call your name?"**

" **Robert Bellingham – Congratulations, Bob." Bob steps up the podium and accepts his badge. "Thank you."**

" **Craig Brice – Congratulations, Craig." "Thank you"**

" **Roy DeSoto," The Chief called Roy's name. Roy looked over at Johnny before getting up from his seat. "Congratulations, Roy. Good luck." "Thanks, Chief"**

" **John Gage." A look of pleasure crossed Johnny's face as he rose from his seat. "Finally cracked one, huh, John. Congratulations." Johnny smiled as he accepted his Captain's badge.**

" **Joe Harmon. Joe, Congratulations."**

" **Lee Martinez. Congratulations, Lee."**

" **John Hopper. Congratulation, John."**

" **Mike Moore. Congratulations, Mike."**

" **Charles Peterson. Congratulations, Charles."**

 **The Chief stepped back behind the podium. "You've already been notified of your new assignments. Again, I wish you well, congratulate you and good luck."**

 **Roy and Johnny moved to the back of the room. "That was okay. The Chief really made me feel like I accomplished somethin'," Roy said.**

" **Well you did, we both did. That was a long haul. I think we both earned our promotion."**

" **Yeah, I guess." Roy said. Johnny blows out a breath. "Wanna get some coffee?" Roy asked, not really wanting these few minutes with Johnny to end.**

" **Let's go get some coffee," Johnny reached for the door knob.**

 **They both walked over to two large stainless steel coffee pots. Johnny filled up the Styrofoam cup and handed it to Roy. Grabbing a second cup for himself**

" **Well," Roy said.**

" **Well, what?"**

" **How do you feel?" Roy asks.**

" **I don't know. No different, I guess. Huh, it just really hasn't hit me yet. How do you feel?"**

 **Roy shrugs. "I don't feel anything special. Not yet, anyway."**

 **The men walked outside to the rooftop patio, leaning against a cement wall.**

" **Uh, hey, Roy, um listen, I know this may sound silly, but suppose you could call me Cap. I mean, I just wanna hear how is sounds."**

" **Okay, Cap," Roy says with a smirk. Johnny gives a soft chuckle. "You got any orders for me, Cap? What's happenin', Cap?"**

 **Johnny let a big smile spread across his face. "That is great. Captain Gage. Captain John Gage, Los Angeles County Fire Department." Johnny's smile fades. "Well, it's beginning to hit me now." He adjusts his hat and put his hand in his pocket.**

" **Yeah, well you did always have slow reflexes." Roy kids.** This leads the men down memory lane as they reminisce about some of the rescues they've been on together. Remembering some of the people they saved and some close calls they've had themselves. All of the stories, highlighting one simple truth, together, they made a great team. Only today, that partnership has come to an end. No longer are they the best paramedic team in the County, or probably the State, as Dr. Brackett has frequently declared. As of this moment, they are now Captains, with their individual station assignments, acting independently and responsible for the lives of the crew that has now been placed in their hands.

Johnny remembers the first time he and Roy had faced the possible end to their partnership, when Roy had passed the Engineer's exam and was looking at eminent promotion to Engineer. He had ultimately decided that he didn't want to stop being a paramedic. At the time, Johnny had told him that maybe the next year, he would take the promotion. " **Well, it wasn't the next year, or the year after that for that matter. But, you finally made it, Captain." Johnny touches Roy's new badge.**

" **We both did."**

" **Yeah, that we did," Johnny says. His thumbs against his lips, he looks down at the table.**

" **Well, I guess I'd better get going home. Joanne, and the kids, you know." Roy said.**

" **Yeah, well I gotta go too. So," they stood up from the picnic table, moving toward the staircase leading down to the parking lot. "Listen, now, um, we are gonna be staying in touch with one another, right?" Johnny asks, feeling a bit uncertain about the future now.**

" **Right. I mean just because we're not working together," Roy says.**

 **Johnny mumbles something that sounds like yeah, yeah. "That's exactly what I mean. I just that uh…, well you know what I mean."**

" **Yeah, I mean it's not like we're movin' out of town or anything. We're still here, we're still in the same department. We're still friends," Roy tries to reassure him, but his voice carries a bit of the doubt he feels. The sudden change has thrown them both, and neither is really sure how the future will play out. They know how they want it to look, but is it realistic?**

 **Johnny is looking down at his hat. He looks over at Roy and gives a smile. "Yeah." He stands up and faces Roy. "Still…"**

" **Yeah…"**

" **Roy, uh,"**

" **Yeah?"**

 **Johnny shakes his head, his eyes glistening with sudden moisture; unable to put his fears into words, he ducks his head. He puts his hat on his head. "C'mon, I'll tell ya what, I'll walk you out to your car."**

" **Alright"**

The men move in unison down the staircase. Johnny walks Roy over to his Porsche. They both stand there for just a minute facing each other; neither one wanting to leave, but knowing that the time has come.

"Tell Joanne and the kids, I said Hi. Give them all a kiss for me," Johnny said, take a step away from the car.

"Yeah, I will," Roy watches as Johnny takes a few steps toward the opposite side of the parking lot, where the Rover sits by itself. "Hey, Johnny. Let's get together next week. You can come over for dinner, okay?"

Johnny turns around, as a crooked smile spreads across his face, lightening his features. "Yeah, that sounds great. Just give me a call with the details."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Roy says, as he moves to get into his car.

Johnny turns and heads toward the Rover, his steps a bit lighter.

E

"Honey, I'm home!" Roy called, as he let himself in the back door.

"Congratulations!" Joanne and the kids came running into the living room as Roy walked in from the back. The kids blew the noise makers Joanne had picked up, they all wore party hats. The kids grabbed Roy's hands and drug him toward the living room that was filled with balloons. Roy stepped carefully trying not to step on any of them, fearing a loud pop would scare Jennifer. Joanne moved back into the kitchen and came back carrying a beer for Roy.

"The kids are going to entertain you with a little play they made up, while I finish dinner," Joanne handed him the beer and dropped a quick kiss on his lips.

Roy smiled as his children took their places in the living room. Chris had snagged Roy's hat and placed it on his head. "Now fireman, go into the house and put out the fire," Chris directed, in a deep voice.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer gave a quick salute and pretended to spray water on the imaginary fire.

"Fireman, wash those fire trucks," Chris ordered next.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer pretended to be washing the fire truck.

"Fireman, sit down while I teach you how to put out fires prop…proparily…right," Chris said, struggling with the word properly.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer sat down and pretended to write, as Chris pretended to teach her.

"Paramedics, go save that child's life," Chris ordered.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer jumped up and pretended to run over and save her doll.

Roy felt a burning in his nose and felt a stinging in his eyes. He blinked quickly and forced a smile on his face. He would no longer be the person running to save someone's life. He would be directing the paramedics under him.

"This is your NEW life!" Chris exclaimed as he and Jennifer took bows.

Roy swallowed over the lump in his throat and clapped loudly for his children. "That's great, guys. Thank you, come give daddy a big hug."

Roy hugged both the kids and stood up. "Dad's gonna run to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Roy walked up the stairs and entered his bathroom. He closed the door and again stared at his blue eyes reflecting in the mirror. This time, a faint edge of red rimmed those eyes. Roy turned on the water and splashed some cold water onto his face.

He sat down on the edge of the bathtub. He had thought through all of this before he had even taken the Captain's exam. After backing out of the Engineer's promotion, he had taken the test only after he had been certain that he would take the promotion, if offered. He knew paramedic work was taxing on his body, the climbing, repelling, carrying people out of burning buildings. This was a young man's position in the department. But, he was going to miss his role as a paramedic. He was proud of the work he and Johnny had done over the last seven years. They had saved a lot of people.

The other thing that had bothered him about the kid's production, was that as Chris portrayed him, he was alone, issuing orders to others. He and Johnny had worked so well together, neither of them directed the other. The worked in conjunction, barely needing to utter a word. He wouldn't have a partner anymore, no one working with him, automatically backing him up. While Johnny had never had to catch any mistakes, Roy was too good for that, knowing he had his back had always been a comfort to him. He just hadn't realized how much until just now.

E

Johnny took the stairs two at a time to his apartment and quickly unlocked the door. He dropped his wallet and keys back into the bowl on the table at the door and made his way toward his bedroom. He quickly removed his dress uniform and hung it back up. He slipped into his well-worn jeans and slipped on a checked shirt. He buttoned the shirt and rolled the sleeves. He tucked the shirt into the jeans and grabbed a belt out of the closet; walking back toward the living room, as he threaded it through the loops on the jeans.

He stood at the end of the hallway looking at the combined living room, dining area, kitchen, his hands on his hips. The ticking of the clock, the gently hum of the refrigerator, and muffled music from his neighbor's stereo reached his ears. He strained to see if he could hear any people, but did not pick up anything.

He had tried to arrange for a date for the evening, but of the women he had called, they'd all been busy. There were other women he could've called, but celebrating such a huge life event with them, would have led them to believe he was more serious about them than he actually was. In the end, he had decided not to call them. Only now, he was alone.

Johnny stood a few minutes longer and then moved back toward the door. He slipped his feet into his hiking boots, quickly tying them. He moved back into his bedroom and grabbed his backpack. He dropped a couple cans of beer into the backpack and a sandwich left over from yesterday. He grabbed his wallet and keys and made his way back out to his car. A quick drive and he could take a nice hike through the hills. That seemed a good way to spend the day.

E

Katrina sat in the cool sand and watched as the waves broke over the rocks along the shores. Resting her hands behind her, she pushed up, taking the weight off her tailbone. She leaned forward, stretching her back and hamstrings and she continued to lean forward bringing her chest to her thighs. Her muscles pulled, but she kept leaning forward until the movement reached the end of discomfort and edged toward pain. She held the stretch, slowly counting to thirty. Sitting back up, she drew in a few breaths and repeated the stretch.

Katrina rolled her shoulders and stretched them back, concentrating on pinching her shoulder blades together. She tilted her head to the side, concentrating on raising her right ear toward the sky, reaching out as far as she could with her right hand, feeling the stretch in her neck and shoulder, a spot where she notoriously held her tension. She held the stretch and repeated several times. Switching to the other side, she envisioned her left ear reaching into the sky, her eyes closed and her breathing deep.

She lay back on her towel, reaching her hands up above her head and elongating her body. Closing her eyes, she focused on matching her breathing with the sound of crashing waves. Breathing in slowly through her nose, she could smell the ocean air, a faint spray reaching some of her skin. The breeze blowing across her hot skin as the sun beat down on her. She felt herself starting to relax at the deep level she knew she needed. The last few months had been grueling; she needed today to de-stress and remember why she was putting herself through this physical and emotional battle.

Katrina flinched as she felt something hit her face. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to ignore the brief intrusion, chalking it up to a minor shifting of the dirt on the cliff above. When more dirt hit her face, she rolled to the side, brushing at her face before opening her eyes. An odd shadow in the sand, had her shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sun and looking up at the side of the mountain. A man was repelling down the side of the mountain toward her. She wasn't sure how she had missed the sound of the rope hitting the ground about fifty feet from her, but she had not heard it.

She frowned. This had been her private little get away for several months. She had never seen anyone here before and liked to think that no one else even knew the private beach cove existed. Katrina scrambled to her feet, not sure if this was just two people each seeking a place of solitude, or if she should feel threatened. She moved over to her bag and slipped her knife out of the side pocket and slid it under the towel. She sat back down, watching as the man reached the ground.

She took a minute to take in his features before making herself known. He was tall, she guessed about six feet, with dark brown, maybe black hair, it was a little hard to tell with the sun. From the way he repelled down the mountain, he was obviously strong, but definitely on the thin side; maybe 170 lbs. She couldn't help notice, he was a very handsome man.

She cleared her throat and the man turned around, a shocked look on his face. "Thanks for dropping in," Katrina quipped. "But, I usually prefer when people call first."

Johnny turned, surprised at the sudden voice. "I didn't know anyone was down here. I couldn't see you topside," Johnny said, taking in the young woman sitting in front of him. He guessed her to be in her early twenties, blonde hair, he couldn't see her eyes, she had her hand shielding them from the sun as she looked up at him. He let his eyes drift over her body, clad in a black bikini. Nice body, he thought, letting a faint smile cross his lips. "I didn't see a rope," Johnny looked around, wondering how she'd gotten down there.

"I didn't repel in," she answered, but didn't elaborate.

She lowered her hand as Johnny moved close enough that he blocked the sun. Katrina rose, feeling uncomfortable having this stranger towering over her. As she rose, she grabbed her towel, pulling it up with her, the knife wrapped in the towel and gripped firmly in her hand. She met his dark brown eyes, and felt herself relax slightly, he had kind eyes.

"I'm John Gage, everyone calls me Johnny," Johnny reached out his hand.

Katrina hesitated, just briefly. "Katrina Conrad," she reached out and shook his hand.

Johnny was surprised at her grip, it was strong and firm. He let his eyes wander over her body again. She was thin, but had great muscle tone, and several pretty bad bruises. Johnny's eyes narrowed.

Katrina pulled her hand from his grasp, as she noticed his gaze wandering over her body. She was used to guys looking at her, but had never been comfortable with it. Johnny brought his gaze back up to her face and met her eyes, searching them for that "deer in the headlights look", he had often seen on abused women. The eyes looking back at him did not look fearful, in fact, they looked a bit irritated.

"I wasn't aware anyone else knew about this place," she said, crossing her arms over her waist.

"I found it a couple of months ago. I've only gotten a chance to come back a couple of times," Johnny explained.

"Hmm," Katrina nodded her head, but wasn't sure what else to say.

"I can leave," Johnny suggested. "You were here first."

Katrina relented, realizing she was being slightly hostile. "This is public property. I don't have any special claim to it."

"But, I understand the need to be alone," Johnny said, searching her face again.

Katrina felt her wall going back up. She moved to stand behind a rock, placing the towel on top, the knife still underneath, but she released her tight grip. "I was just enjoying some quiet time. The space is big enough for us to both be here and not get in each other's way."

Johnny took a step back, getting the message. "Yeah, sure."

Johnny moved a few feet away, pulling a towel out from his bag and laying it out onto the sand. He unlaced his boots, kicking them off and pulling off his socks, dropping them inside of the boots. He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it over the boots. He sat down on the towel, facing the water. He knew she was still standing in the same spot.

Katrina watched him settle into the sand and felt the tension returning to her shoulders. Why was she being so rude, she wondered? Because the last several months had been spent dealing with obnoxious, chauvinistic, rude and sometimes ruthless men, she thought to herself. This man did not deserve to have her frustrations taken out on him, she wasn't being fair to him.

"Sorry," she said, sliding the knife out from under the towel and tossing it into her bag.

Johnny watched the knife sail through the air and land in the bag. "I guess I should just be glad you didn't pull that on me."

"I'd been planning a day to myself, trying to unwind. I guess I don't handle having my plans changed well," She said, walking over to a rock near him and pulling herself up to sit on it.

Johnny let his eyes wander down her legs, but it was the bruises he was examining. She had a large one on her left thigh, that he would be willing to bet was made by a steel-tipped boot. He had experienced enough of them on the job to recognize the pattern. But, the only reason he could think for her to have one was due to someone abusing her. There were several other bruises that were turning yellow, indicating they were probably several weeks old, but some looked fresh, like she had gotten them in just the last day or two.

Katrina felt her ire starting to rise, as he ran his eyes over her legs.

"Do you mind actually looking at my face when you talk to me?" She snipped.

"I was just noticing your bruises, you have a lot of them," Johnny said, letting his voice soften over the last few words.

Katrina felt herself blush over her assumption that he was checking her out. "It's not what you think. Some are from work, some are from my karate class and some are because, well, I'm uh, a bit of klutz," Katrina admitted.

Johnny smiled at her deepening color; but wasn't entirely certain he believed her story.

"I'm sorry I was rude before. It's been a rough few months and I just needed a day to center myself."

"Is that what you're doin' today, centering yourself," Johnny said, a bit of sarcasm in his voice when he said, "centering yourself".

"I don't mean that in any new agey sense," Katrina rolled her eyes at his tone. "I just meant, it helped me get passed all my emotions and get my head on straight."

Johnny thought about her words for a minute. "I can understand that. I guess in a way, that's what I was lookin' for too. Today was supposed to be a big day, I got promoted. But…," Johnny let his words trail off, his thoughts jumbling together with concerns of not being a paramedic anymore, the responsibility he was taking on, concerns on how this would affect not only his friendship with Roy, but all the guys at the station.

Katrina watched the eyes of the handsome stranger darken. She wondered if he knew how easy it was to see the shift in his moods. Something was obviously deeply troubling him. "But, the same way bad things have a silver lining if you look close enough, good things have dark shadows, that are sometimes pretty easy to see," Katrina said softly, finishing where she thought his train of thought had been going.

Johnny looked up and met her eyes, which he could see now were a soft blue. He smiled at her accurate summary of his promotion. "Is that your situation, something good with a dark shadow?"

Katrina looked down and then to the side to look out at the ocean. She thought over her current situation, yes, something good with dark shadows probably was a very good description. She blew out a small breath, "Yeah, yeah, actually it does."

"Well, I've got an idea. What do you say, the two of us spend the day together; relaxing and having a good time, without any negative thoughts. We won't talk about work, family, politics, money, anything that could be difficult, contradictory, negative, or have even a shade of a bad feeling," Johnny suggested, a smile spreading across his face.

Katrina smiled, "So basically, we just won't talk?"

Johnny laughed. "We can talk about the beautiful day, the joy of finding a place like this, we can have a beer," Johnny suggested reaching into his backpack and pulling out a can.

Katrina wrinkled her nose, "I don't like the smell. You can have a beer, I brought iced tea."

Johnny popped the top on the can, taking her comment as acceptance of his offer to spend the day together. She walked over and grabbed her backpack and towel. She walked back over near Johnny, spreading her towel out next to his. She pulled out a thermos and opened it, pouring the cool brown liquid into the cap. She took a deep breath, letting the tension flow out of her again. She rolled her head in a circle, stretching the neck muscles.

"Stiff?" Johnny asked, recognizing the movements as one he often made after tough shifts, or a really productive work out.

"That's gets into one of those forbidden areas," Katrina smiled at him.

"We could talk about that great smile of yours," Johnny suggested, a crooked, flirtatious smile on his face.

Katrina let her eyes meet his briefly and then roam down his face to his full lips and then slowly down his smooth chest to his chiseled torso and still further down, until she felt the heat in her cheeks. "I think that would probably cause me very dark shadows tomorrow morning," Katrina said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Johnny knew looking at her, if he pushed, she would give in. He let his eyes roam over her body slowly, she was a very beautiful woman. His dark brown eyes locked with her light blue eyes, he saw desire, but he also saw fear; Johnny looked back down at the large bruise on her thigh. "How did you get here, if you didn't repel?" Johnny asked, changing the topic.

"There's a public beach about ¾ miles north of here. I parked there and got here on my board," Katrina pointed to a surf board resting behind some rocks and barely visible to Johnny. She breathed a sigh of relief, when Johnny broke their gaze and looked over at the water.

"3/4 of a mile? With the rocks in this area, isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"No more dangerous than dropping off a cliff and hoping a piece of rope will keep you from plummeting to your death," Katrina said with a chuckle.

"I'm very good at repelling and climbing," Johnny smiled.

"I grew up in Florida; lots of water, not many cliffs," Katrina said.

"I love the mountains. Hiking, camping, fishing, all great ways to spend free time," Johnny said.

"I love water, surfing, water skiing, kayaking, and fishing. Although, I'm a bit of a sissy about baiting my hook and taking the fish off the hook."

"How do you fish if you can't bait a hook, or take a fish off the line?"

"You have to pick the right fishing companion; I never go alone," Katrina joked.

"I've never seen any surfers in this area," Johnny commented.

"Because of the rocks you mentioned. This is a pretty dangerous area to surf, not challenging, but dangerous. There are too many great surfing locations in this area for anyone to bother with this section of the beach. I don't really surf in this area, but I can paddle and keep my pack dry. It's supposed to be water proof, but, well, yeah, you know how well that actually works."

"Soggy food and damp towel," Johnny said with a nod.

"Speaking of food, I've got some. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I brought a sandwich, but only one," Johnny hesitated.

"I actually packed quite a bit of food," Katrina slid her backpack over. She pulled out several containers. "I've got homemade chicken salad, fruit, vegetables and crackers. Plus, cookies for dessert."

"Is there enough for both of us?"

"If you eat your sandwich too," Katrina laughed. "There may be enough for both of us, but I'm willing to bet you've got a pretty good appetite."

Johnny pulled the sandwich out of his backpack and proceeded to eat it; while Katrina opened up the other containers. "This is really good, Katrina," Johnny said, with his mouth full of chicken salad.

"Has everyone ever told you it's rude to talk with your mouth full?" Katrina asked, but with humor in her voice.

"My mom probably yelled at me a time or two, plus some of the guys I work with, worked with," Johnny said, his eyes clouding again.

"Oops, breaking the rules. No talk that makes your eyes do that," Katrina said.

"Do what?"

Katrina smiled at him, but instead of saying anything, handed him a cookie. "Homemade, these will put a smile on your face, guaranteed."

Johnny bit into the chocolate chip cookie and let his face show the pure pleasure of the taste. "Katrina, these are amazing! Oatmeal chocolate chip. These are my favorite. I can never find them in California."

"Most people actually call me Kat," Katrina said, relaxing into her conversation with Johnny. "I haven't been able to find them either, but they were a staple in Florida. My mom used to make these at least once a month. They're my favorite too."

They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, swimming and just laying in the sun. As the sun began to set, they leaned against a rock, sitting side by side. Johnny slid his arm around her waist. She let her head rest against his shoulder, her silky hair lightly tickling his skin as the breeze blew it slightly.

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, as the sun dipped below the horizon. "It's pretty dark on the water, maybe you should climb up with me?"

"How would you get my board up?"

"I've gotten cargo more precious than that up a cliff, more than once," Johnny said, with a smile.

Katrina looked up the cliff. "I'll take my chances with the waves."

Johnny put a hand on her waist, stopping her when she would have moved over to her surf board. Their eyes locked, his hand tightened around her waist as he pulled her slightly closer to him. He hesitated, to see if she pulled away. Instead, she ran her hands up his arms, across his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her fingers run into his dark hair. He dropped his head, slowly kissing her upper lip and then lower lip. He pulled her body against his, and deepened their kiss, starting their tongues in a slow, sensual dance.

He let his hand slide from her waist to cup her behind, pressing her against him. Katrina slid her hands from his neck and flattened her palms against his chest, breaking their kiss.

"I had a very nice afternoon, and even better evening, Johnny. But, I'd better get moving."

"Be careful, Kat," Johnny said quietly.

Katrina looked up the cliff again. "You too."

Katrina carried the surf board several feet into the water, and then set it down. The water felt cool against her skin. She placed the pack on the front of the board and climbed up; she used the paddle to turn the board and watched as Johnny moved toward his rope. She couldn't see his finer movements, but noticed him quickly ascending the rope. She slowly paddled her board north to the public beach area, thinking about their kiss.

Johnny quickly made his way up the rope and moved over to the Rover, throwing the rope and backpack into the back. He quickly jumped into the driver's seat. He turned left onto the road and drove just under a mile to the parking lot for the public beach. He turned off the car, and waited.

She didn't notice the man in the Rover watching her as she loaded the surf board into her car. Johnny didn't let himself think too much about why he needed to make sure she got back to her car safely, but he chocked it up to the fireman in him. It was his job to protect people, make sure they were safe. He briefly thought about following her, to see where she lived, but decided that was way too creepy. They hadn't exchanged phone numbers; this may be the only time he'd ever see her. But, somehow, he knew he'd see Katrina Conrad again. Johnny turned the Rover around and headed home, a whistle escaping his lips as he drove.

Author's note: **The writing in Bold is taken directly from the Emergency "Greatest Rescues of Emergency". I do not own any of these characters or have any claim to that scene.**


	2. Chapter 2

Roy walked into Station 101, and made his way to the Captain's office. The A-shift Captain was just finishing up his log book from their last run. "Welcome to Station 101, Captain DeSoto. Ready for your first day as a Captain?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Roy said, looking around the office.

"Well, this is your drawer," Captain Newberry said, opening up the bottom desk drawer, the small key was in the lock. "You should keep your log book, and any items you don't want "walking away" in this drawer. Anything left out on is considered community property and no one promises it'll be here next shift."

Roy nodded his head.

"I'll head into the kitchen to get some coffee and give you a chance to settle in before your crew gets here," Captain Newberry stood up.

"Thanks," Roy said, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Captain Newberry walked out of the office and Roy sat down in the still warm chair. He opened the drawer and found a new logbook. He pulled out the logbook and opened it to the blank page. How many runs would be recorded on these pages over his tenure as a Captain, he wondered? How many wins, or worse, how many loses? Roy stared briefly at the blank pages before putting the book back in the drawer. He opened his briefcase and removed the 5 files; one for each of the men in his new crew.

His Engineer, Andrew (Andy) Bongers, his two linesman, Jeff Beckham and Chuck Schuler and finally his two paramedics, Josh Dowd and Pat Green; both new to their roles in the last 6 weeks and according to their files, having difficulty finding their groove as partners. Roy opened each file, looking again at the picture provided. Not that he needed to, he had studied these files multiple times since the former B-shift Captain had dropped them off at his house 36 hours earlier.

Roy placed the files in the desk drawer, closing it, locking it and removing the key. He slipped the small desk drawer key onto his key ring.

He could hear men calling out greetings and knew B-shift, his crew, must be arriving. Roy stood up and headed for the kitchen. He wanted to get coffee, but more than that, he wanted his initial greetings to be more casual than a formal introduction and greeting during roll call. He hoped to make his men comfortable with him, to view him as one of the guys, someone they could come to with questions, or problems.

Roy wandered into the kitchen and recognized Andy, standing at the coffee pot. "Hi, Andy," he greeted him as he approached the Engineer, extending his hand.

"Captain DeSoto, it's a pleasure to meet you," Andy accepted his outstretched hand and gave him a firm handshake. "Can I get you a cup of coffee, sir?"

"Definitely," Roy said, leaning against the counter.

Andy got down another cup and poured Captain DeSoto a cup of coffee. As he handed it to him, he greeted two more men walking into the kitchen. "Jeff, Chuck, can I get you guys some coffee?"

"Yeah," they said in unison.

Andy smiled. Those two answering in unison was not a rare event. He didn't say it out load, but figured he could fill in Captain DeSoto later. They'd been working together as linesman for over a decade. Neither one had any ambition to move up in the ranks, and they had worked together for so long they could read each other's thoughts.

Unlike these two, Andy thought as Josh walked in the back door heading toward the locker room and Pat came in from the bay, already changed and ready for roll call. They didn't even mutter a greeting to each other as they passed by one another.

Jeff and Chuck walked over to get their coffee and greeted Roy. "Hi, Captain DeSoto," Jeff said. "Welcome to Station 101, B-shift," Chuck said, the flow of the two sentences sounding as if it came from one thought.

"Jeff," Roy shook his hand. "Chuck," Roy said, extending his hand to the second man. If he hadn't read their files, he would've wondered if they were brothers.

"Pat, would you like some coffee?" Roy asked, looking at the man that had just joined them from the bay.

"No, can't stand the stuff," Pat said. "I'll make myself a cup of tea after roll call."

"Well, it's nice to meet you anyway," Roy said, giving a faint chuckle.

The other guys chuckled with him, but Pat just looked at him, not understanding the statement.

"It was meant to be funny; it's still nice to meet ya, even though you don't like coffee," Roy said. When Pat just continued to look at him, Roy just extended his hand. "Captain Roy DeSoto." Pat shook his hand, and Roy forced himself not to grimace. He had a very limp handshake.

Roy glanced at the clock. "We should get ready for roll call," he said, setting his coffee cup in the sink. The other men followed suit and headed into the bay, lining up in front of the engine.

Roy had just taken his position in front of them when Josh ran over and slid into a spot next to Andy. "As you all know, my name is Roy DeSoto and I'm the new Captain for Station 101's B-shift," Roy started. "I know it takes time to get to know each other, but I hope you'll eventually view me as a friend, someone you can count on when things are tough, either personally or professionally. If there are things you feel I should know, or certain aspects to my style of leadership that you feel don't work well for the crew, I'm hoping you feel comfortable talking to me, so we can create the best team in the Department."

Roy started moving back and forth across the line of men. "On a personal note, I was most recently at Station 51, A-shift, working as a paramedic for the last 7 years. I enjoyed not only my role in the station, but the men I worked with. We became like a family and I'm hoping to create a similar atmosphere here."

Roy lifted his clipboard. "For today, we actually are going to do a few drills and some basic housekeeping chores. I understand you already have the cooking schedule for the month, let me know what I need to contribute. Also, let me know when it's my turn to cook, or at least provide me a copy of the schedule; I didn't see it in the office."

"Captain Montgomery didn't cook, Sir," Andy interjected.

"Oh," Roy said, surprised by that news. Captain Stanley had always taken his turn in the kitchen. "Well I'm willing to take my turn at the stove, so maybe when the next month's schedule gets written up, you can add me in."

Andy nodded his head.

Roy proceeded to give out chore assignments and let the guys know that they would do the drills after lunch.

The men moved in different directions and Roy stood back to observe his paramedic team as they moved to the squad to do their supply and radio check. Instead of each just moving to a task, they stood by the bumper of the squad debating who was supposed to inventory the supplies that day, versus doing the radio check. He had watched them for several minutes before they realized he was watching their antics and Pat just said he would inventory the supplies and moved to open the compartment. They bumped into each other a few times trying to get out the drug box and biophone and find space to sit and do their necessary tasks.

Roy furrowed his eyebrows as he made his way back into the kitchen to start a new pot of coffee. He was pleasantly surprised to find Andy had already beat him to it and the coffee was brewing away. Andy was putting away the washed cups, as Roy walked over the counter.

"Andy, how are things going this morning?" Roy asked.

Andy gave him a small smile. "I take it you watched the paramedic predicament," he said quietly. "I keep thinking it'll improve as they get used to working together, but honestly, I think it's gotten worse."

"Worse?"

"They are very different personalities and they can't seem to find where those differences help balance them out. Instead, they just alienate them. I've watched them on a few runs and honestly, I feel bad for their patient."

Roy furrowed his brow, that wasn't good. It was one thing to not like someone you work with, it was another to let that tension affect your patient care. He would definitely have to watch his new team in action.

As if Sam in dispatch could read his thoughts, the tones sounded calling out the Station to an incident at the Fire Academy.

Roy watched as both paramedics moved to the driver's side of the squad. They both stood their looking at each other for several seconds. Roy had already written down the location, Andy, Jeff and Chuck were already climbing into their seats; knowing where the Fire Academy was located. "Pat, you drive and follow the engine," Roy ordered as he handed off the address slip to Josh.

Roy took his seat and looked over at Andy, who was already pulling the engine out of the station, sirens on and a quick sound of the horn, he pulled onto the street, the squad pulling out a few seconds behind them.

E

Johnny took a deep breath as he pulled the key from the ignition. He knew he was really early, but he wanted a few minutes to settle in before any of the B-shift crew arrived. Johnny took in the exterior of Station 36 and missed the newness of Station 51. Station 36 definitely looked like it could use a new coat of paint.

Johnny headed into the station and saw both the engine and the squad were gone. He walked into the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee. While it percolated, he walked into the Captain's office. A note was sitting on the chair. "Welcome, Captain Gage. Bottom drawer is yours, you'll find your log book and desk supplies. Never leave anything out, you're responsible for your own supplies."

Johnny opened the bottom drawer and looked at the log book. He opened it up and filled out his personal information on the main cover sheet, carefully writing out his full name, John Roderick Gage. He flipped through the empty pages wondering what events he would document today, and in the coming weeks. How long until this book was completely filled?

Johnny slid the book back in the drawer and took a brief inventory of the collected pens, pencils, scissors, tape and stapler. He didn't think he'd need anything else, but he figured he would find that out in the next couple of weeks. He heard the bay door rise and knew at least some of A shift was returning. He could tell from the sounds in the bay that the engine and squad were returning together.

Johnny stood up and met Captain Trainor at the door of the office. "Captain Gage, I see you're here early for your first day. Let me just enter this run into my book and I'll be happy to give you the office," Captain Trainor moved to sit in the chair.

"Sounds good. I'm just gonna grab myself a cup of coffee," Johnny said, heading toward the kitchen. The men of A shift must have moved into the dorm or the locker room because the kitchen still stood empty. Johnny found a mug and filled it with fresh coffee. He took a tentative sip and sighed, the coffee at Station 51 had been better.

Captain Trainor entered the kitchen and informed Johnny the office was his to use. Johnny carried his coffee mug to the office and leaned the door closed, without fully clicking it shut. He pulled the crew files out of his desk. He had just opened the one for Ted Rogers, his Engineer, when there was a quick knock on the door.

"Come in," Johnny called out.

Chief McConnike walked in the office and Johnny jumped to his feet to stand at attention. "Relax, John. I just came to see if I could throw another hurtle into your first day."

"Excuse me, sir?" Johnny asked, puzzled by the Chief's statement.

"Your paramedic, Jack King, is being promoted to Engineer, effective next week. He took the exam a few months ago, scored in the high teens. There hadn't been a spot open, but fortunately or unfortunately, the Engineer at Station 24 has submitted termination paperwork. He's relocating to Ohio, to be near his daughter, who just had a baby. Jack is next in line to be promoted. I called him at home last night and he accepted the assignment. We've got a new paramedic class graduating in two weeks, so you'll have paramedics accepting OT assignments one week. The next week, you'll be getting Tom Dickson, a new boot. He's completing the dual fire academy/paramedic training program on the 16th and will report to you on the 18th."

Chief McConnike reached into his briefcase and handed Johnny a file. "This is the information we have obtained so far about Tom. I'll get you his final scores, as soon as he completes training."

Johnny took the file and flipped it open, looking at the picture of the young man with blonde hair and a stern expression. "Do you know if Steve Winters has any idea that Jack is leaving and he's getting a new partner?" Johnny thought back briefly to how he had felt when Roy had been offered the Engineer's promotion. It would've been hard to lose him as a partner. Johnny was incredibly grateful Roy had passed on the promotion and stayed his partner. It was nice promoting together. He knew from his review of the crew files that Steve and Jack had been working together for a couple of years.

"I'm not sure, but I would imagine Steve was the first call he made after the told his wife," Chief McConnike said, latching his briefcase. "I'm actually due at headquarters for a meeting so I'll leave you to your first day. Good luck, Captain Gage."

Johnny watched the Chief's retreating back as his ears picked up the shuffling of feet in the bay. He looked at the clock and realized it was time for roll call. So much for needing to decide if he wanted to meet the men more informally, or in the formal roll call setting. Johnny grabbed his hat and placed it on his head, walking out of the office to see five men standing in a line.

"Before we get started, Jack, can I see you in my office for a second?" Johnny asked.

Jack moved out of the line and headed for the Captain's office. "I just heard about your promotion, congratulations," Johnny said, closing the door behind them.

"Thank you, Captain Gage. I'm sorry I won't get the opportunity to work with you. Your reputation as a top-notch paramedic is legendary," Jack said.

Johnny felt himself blush, not really a fan of personal praise. "Before we started roll call, I wanted to ask you how you wanted to handle this. Do you want to tell the crew?"

"If you don't mind my telling them during roll call that'd be great. I called Steve last night, so he already knows, but it would be nice to just get everyone else over with at once."

"Okay, then, let's go do this," Johnny opened the door and let Jack walk out first.

While Jack got back in line, Johnny moved to the front of the men. "Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is John Gage and I'm the new Captain for B-shift here at Station 36. For the last seven years, I was a paramedic over at Station 51. I'm excited about this new opportunity and looking forward to working with you. This afternoon we're gonna run some drills, I've created a chore assignment sheet, and will post it on the bulletin board following roll call. It'll have your assignments for the next two weeks. Before we break, I think Jack has some news, he'd like to share with everyone."

Jack moved out from the line and stood to face his crewmates. "My promotion to Engineer came through. I'll be here for this shift and our next shift and then I'll be going over to 24s as the new Engineer."

The men clapped for him, a few slapped Steve on the back, knowing it was tough to lose a partner.

"We will be getting Tom Dickson, a new boot fresh out of the fire academy. He was one of 4 who took the combined fire academy/paramedic training. He'll join us on the 18th, until then we'll have fill in paramedics," Johnny explained.

Before he could say anything else the klaxons sounded calling the Station out for a multi-vehicle accident. Johnny moved to the podium to take down the address while Steve moved to the map to look for the address and Jack slipped into the driver's seat. Johnny handed a copy of the address to Jack and moved to assume his seat in the engine.

E

It was almost pitch black in the building, the smoke the densest of any of the training exercises she'd done so far. She was working with Kory, another trainee, he was supposed to have been the lead, her hand gripping his shoulder, so they wouldn't get separated. She had lost contact with him a couple of minutes ago. She'd tried to call his name as soon as she had felt him tug his shoulder free from her grasp; but he never answered. The goal was to find the "victim" in a factory blaze. The acrid black smoke simulating a chemical fire. Katrina focused on slowing her breathing, knowing that she needed to conserve her air.

Since she was no longer holding on to her partner, she let herself drop lower to get below the thickest layer of smoke. The instructions had said a security guard was still in the building and had last been seen doing his rounds near the center of the building on the 3rd floor. Katrina crawled up the stairs, trying to keep an eye out for the victim or her partner. She paused, getting her bearings and moved toward the center of the building. She quickly found the mannequin representing the security guard. She hoisted the weighted dummy over her shoulder and moved back toward the staircase.

She felt someone grabbing hold of the mannequin and tried to turn, assuming her partner had found her. She felt a scrape against her face, as her face mask was pulled down and a sudden hard shove into her ribcage. She stumbled from the force of the shove and hit the stair railing; breathing a sigh of relief when it held against her weight. Her relief lasted only a moment though as she felt someone kick the stair rail and then her hip so she fell with the rail. Katrina managed to twist, so she hit the ground on her side and didn't land on the air tank. She felt a wave of pain flow through her body that left her momentarily nauseated from the intensity.

The smoke was filling her lungs as she tried to suck in air, her face mask dislodged. When she coughed the pain that shot through her chest was intense enough her vision darkened and she thought she might pass out. Katrina rolled, trying to get on her hands and knees. She heard movement near her, but wasn't sure if it was someone coming to help, or her attacker trying to inflict more damage. She reached out for the wall and tried to pull herself into a standing position. Strong arms were under her elbows, helping her up. Someone slipped her arm over their shoulders and mostly dragged her out of the building.

Katrina tried hard not to cough, as fresh air hit her in the face. The air was cold compared to what she had just been in and it helped revive her some. She held her hands over her ribs as she coughed, but again the pain was so severe her vision darkened and her knees buckled. She felt herself being lowered to a sitting position on the ground and someone trying to help remove her air tank. She tried to help the best she could, but each movement brought so much pain.

"What the hell happened?" Katrina recognized the voice of Michael Henry, the lead instructor for the day.

"I'm not sure," Kory Marks said, moving over near her. "She was with me for the first few minutes, but then let go of my shoulder. I tried to find her, but it was so dark and she wasn't answering my call."

"Tom, Keith, did either of you see what happened?" Michael asked the other team, that was exiting the structure.

"No, sir. We'd just located the mannequin and were moving down our staircase when we heard the commotion," Tom said, carrying the training dummy over to where the group had gathered around Katrina.

Michael had managed to get off her air tank and turn out coat and had her laying flat on the ground. "Someone go call the fire department, I need paramedics here," Michael ordered, not liking Katrina's color. She was very pale and her breathing sounded funny.

Russ ran toward the office, while Tom knelt down next to Katrina. He took her pulse and rested a hand on her abdomen, counting her respirations.

Michael Henry looked up at the sound of approaching sirens. He breathed a sigh of exasperation. "Russ, why do I have a fire engine responding when I asked for paramedics?" He looked over at the young recruit.

The young man shook his head. "I don't know, sir. I just told them we had a recruit injured during a fire training session."

Michael rolled his eyes and went to meet the engine. Roy stepped down and moved toward the man in uniform. He watched his paramedics out of the corner of his eye. They were tripping over each other as they both tried to reach for the same equipment at the same time. "Whaddya got?" Roy asked the man in uniform.

"Michael Henry, Captain. I'm sorry the engine got called out, we have medical situation. One of our recruits took a fall through a stair rail, fell about 20 feet, hit a wood floor, no padding," Michael explained, nodding toward the training structure. Black smoke was still pouring out of the structure.

"Roy DeSoto," Roy introduced himself. "Need help getting that out?" Roy asked.

"No, I just moved a crew inside to put out the fire. We were doing a rescue training exercise. We don't have any witnesses, so I'm not exactly sure what happened yet."

Roy and Michael moved back over to watch the paramedics in action. Roy knew he should call the engine available, but he really wanted to see how the two paramedics worked.

Josh had set down the biophone and was hooking up the antenna. Pat had moved over near the victim. "What's your name?" He asked, as he knelt down next to her.

"Katrina," her voice was strained, and Roy could tell she was in a lot of pain.

"Katrina, can you tell me what happened?"

Pat was holding her wrist and taking her pulse. "I fell about 20 feet, landed on my left side. I didn't hit my head. My ribs and hip hurt," Katrina gave the paramedics a brief description of her injuries.

"Katrina is one of our fire fighter/paramedic trainees," Michael explained to Roy.

Roy nodded. He was watching Josh take orders from the hospital. They had just ordered an IV with D5W and Josh was moving trying to get the supplies, but so was Pat. They collided and nearly fell on the patient. Katrina watching them, had jerked trying to get away from them. She gasped and got very pale.

Roy looked up at the sky. He couldn't believe these guys had been working together 6 weeks and were still this clumsy.

"Try not to move," Patrick ordered.

Katrina drew in a short breath. "Try not to fall on me," she quipped.

Roy heard the ambulance arriving behind him.

The ambulance attendants helped move Katrina on to the gurney. The paramedics were arguing about who should ride in the ambulance with her. Roy stood watching as the attendants moved the young woman into the ambulance. Her eyes briefly met Roy's as they passed him.

Roy turned his gaze back to his paramedics. "Josh, get in the ambulance," Roy ordered, his tone gruff.

Josh grabbed the biophone and drug box and moved toward the ambulance. Pat bent over to pick up the remaining equipment and walked over the squad. The ambulance pulled out and Pat was still walking toward the squad.

"We teach them the skills. Teaching them how to work as a team…," Michael shook his head.

"It usually comes with time," Roy said, watching Pat get into the squad. It definitely wasn't happening naturally with those two.

Roy looked back over at the structure to make sure the recruits were putting out the fire. Satisfied he was no longer needed, he raised the H-T. "Engine 101 available. Squad 101 enroute to Rampart."

Roy boarded the engine and Andy pulled out taking them back to the station.

E

Dixie paused as she was removing Katrina's shirt. The bruise on her side was large and definitely shaped like the palm of a hand, a few "finger" marks near the top of the purple "palm". Dixie continued to ease of her shirt and then moved to help remove her pants. She paused again when she noticed the large boot shaped bruise on her hip. Several other bruises covered her legs in various stages of healing. She said nothing as she helped Katrina slide into a hospital gown.

Dixie exited the treatment room, running into Dr. Brackett on his way in. "Kel," Dixie stopped him before he could enter the room. "Someone beat her. Those aren't bruises from a training accident."

"Are you sure?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.

"See for yourself," Dixie said, pushing open the door.

Dr. Brackett walked into the room and took in the young woman laying on his exam table. He moved toward her slowly. "I'm Dr. Brackett. I'm just gonna take a look at your ribs and your hip. This may hurt, but I'll be as gentle as I can be," he said, raising the gown, so he could see her side. He paused and looked over at Dixie.

"Katrina, how did you get this bruise?" Dr. Brackett asked, trying to get the young woman to look at him.

She kept her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I fell during a training exercise."

"This bruise," Dr. Brackett ran a finger around the edges of the bruise, "was caused by a person. That's definitely a hand print."

Katrina swallowed hard, but said nothing.

"This one," Dr. Brackett said, looking at her hip, "was caused by someone wearing a book, kicking you. I need you to tell me what happened?" Dr. Brackett pushed.

"I told you, I fell," Katrina said again.

"I can't help you, if you won't trust me," Dr. Brackett said.

"Yes, you can. It's a bruise, maybe a fractured rib, you treat those the same way, regardless of how they were caused," Katrina said, this time she met Dr. Brackett's eyes. Her own blue eyes were cool and detached. She looked back at the ceiling.

"Katrina is a fire fighter/paramedic trainee. The injury occurred during a training exercise," Dixie explained.

"Katrina, I need to report this," Dr. Brackett said.

"There's nothing to report. I fell," Katrina said coolly.

"The bruise on your ribs is in the shape of a hand print. You were shoved, and hard. The bruise on your hip, is from a boot, someone kicked you," Dr. Brackett said. "What I need to know, is if it is happening on your off time, or at the academy?"

Katrina looked back quickly, fear showing in her eyes. "I told you, it was a training accident," her voice held an edge of panic.

"At the academy then," Dr. Brackett surmised.

"Please," Katrina grasped his arm. "Please, you can't report this. I'm almost done with training. I can't be viewed as a troublemaker," she pleaded with Dr. Brackett.

"You're not a troublemaker, you're the victim," Dixie said, angry that she would feel like she couldn't tell anyone she was being abused.

Katrina looked at Dixie. "It doesn't work like that," she whispered.

"Would you rather them think you fell? That you couldn't do the job?" Dr. Brackett asked.

Katrina closed her eyes. "In my pocket. There's a bandana, give that to Michael Henry. He's the main trainer."

Dixie moved to her pants and pulled out a blue bandana. "What's this?"

Katrina opened her eyes and met Dixie's gaze. "He'll know," was all she said.

The x-ray technician walked into the room with the portable x-ray machine. "I need chest and pelvis," Dr. Brackett ordered. He opened the door for Dixie and they moved into the hallway.

Michael Henry pushed himself off the wall. "Doctor, I'm Michael Henry, a trainer down at the Fire Academy. One of my trainees was just brought in by ambulance."

"Katrina Conrad," Dr. Brackett said.

"Yes," Michael answered. "How is she?"

"They're doing x-rays now," Dr. Brackett paused, looking over the man in front of him. "I'm Dr. Brackett, head of Emergency Medicine. Can we speak in my office for a minute?"

Dr. Brackett watched as a look of confusion momentarily crossed the man's face. "Sure."

Michael followed Dr. Brackett and Dixie down the hall and into Dr. Brackett's office.

"Mr. Henry," Dr. Brackett started.

"Please, call me Michael."

"Michael, the bruise on Katrina's ribs and the one on her hip, are not bruises sustained in a fall, or a training exercise. She's being physically abused," Dr. Brackett said, sitting on the edge of his desk.

Michael paused, trying to figure out what he was feeling at Dr. Brackett's statement. Unfortunately, he realized what he was feeling was confirmation of a nagging suspicion he had had for some time. Michael dropped his head. "You're sure?"

"I think you are too," Dr. Brackett surmised, watching the man's body language.

"She begged us not to report it," Dixie said.

Michael looked up at the nurse, but then nodded his head. "Yeah, I can see that," he said quietly.

"She also told us to give you this," Dixie handed him the bandana she'd been carrying. "Do you know what it means?"

Michael took the bandana, turning it over in his hand. "It means she reached the victim first," Michael said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Huh?"

"This bandana was tied on the mannequin we used in our simulation. For her to have it, Katrina had to get to the pretend victim first. Someone took the dummy from her and tried to hurt her. Probably to try and get her failed out of the program. She's the first woman accepted as a trainee in LA County. Not everyone is happy with the changing of the times," Michael explained.

"Her injuries could have been permanent, even life threatening, if she hadn't twisted to land on her side, instead of falling on her air tank on her back," Dr. Brackett said.

"I know. You've got my word Dr. Brackett; I'll get to the bottom of this," Michael stood up. "Will you be keeping Katrina overnight?"

"Probably not. Once the x-ray's come back, we'll treat her injuries and send her home."

"I'll be in the waiting room. I can give her a ride home," Michael said, moving out of the office.


	3. Chapter 3

Roy watched from the doorway of his new office as Josh backed the squad into the bay. The paramedics weren't speaking. Pat was looking out the passenger window. Roy watched as they both stepped out and started to go in separate directions. "Pat, Josh, can I see you in my office," Roy called out.

Pat and Josh turned around and headed toward the Captain's office. Neither looked at the other. Roy knew that the few times he and Johnny had been called into Captain Stanley's office, they'd always exchanged glances. Silently asking each other what they'd done, offering unspoken support, giving each other the "oh crap" look. The fact Pat and Josh didn't look at each other; told Roy a lot more than they could've possibly guessed.

Roy closed the door, after the men walked past him into the office. "Have a seat," Roy said, moving behind the desk and sitting down, so he would be eye level with his men.

He watched as Pat and Josh did a dance over who was going to sit in the chair closest to the door. Roy sighed and dropped his head.

Pat moved to the chair furthest from the door and both men sat down.

"What I saw in the field today, caring for that patient, was completely unacceptable. Your jobs are to take care of the patient, and provide them some comfort; not further injure them. It appears you both have the necessary medical skills; but you haven't learned how to work together at all. You don't have a system for equipment and supply checks at the start of shift, you don't communicate with each other as you arrive on scene, you don't communicate as you prepare to transfer a patient; regardless of your medical skills, your inefficient, unproductive, and actually dangerous to your patients," Roy paused giving his words time to sink in.

"I hardly think you can accurately judge our performance based on one call," Josh argued.

"A performance that should've been the best you could give; considering you knew your new Captain was watching," Roy clarified. "Not to mention, I have two reviews from Captain Montgomery and an independent evaluation from Captain Hookraider, who covered a shift last month."

Josh scoffed. "I'd hardly consider Captain Hookraider a fair evaluator. The man's a tyrant."

"His evaluation was in line with the other evaluations, and what I personally witnessed today." Roy said.

"I don't really think…"

"Enough," Roy cut off Josh. Roy took a deep breath. "I didn't call you in here to have an argument with you. I wanted to let you know we need to start working on your communication and how you work together," Roy took another deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He wanted this to be a constructive, helpful meeting, not disciplinary, but Josh was making it difficult.

"The first thing I want you to do, immediately, is have a discussion on how you're gonna determine who rides in with the patient. Is the person who's communicating with Rampart accompanying the patient in the ambulance, or is it gonna be the person who has initial contact with the patient? Every call, you will follow that protocol. Second, I want you to work out a system for supply and equipment checks at the beginning of your shift. Are you gonna do the same thing every shift, or alternate responsibilities. It doesn't matter, but figure it out. Third, you need to work on speaking to each other when you're on a call. You may eventually get to a point where you just know what your partner is gonna do, but you're not there yet." Roy paused, giving the men a chance to speak.

Neither one said anything, or made eye contact with him.

"Do you have any questions, thoughts, comments?" Roy asked.

"No, sir," Pat mumbled.

"Not at this time, Captain DeSoto," Josh said, his tone belligerent.

"You're dismissed," Roy said. The men stood up and left his office.

Roy took a moment to run his hands over his face and then headed toward the kitchen for coffee.

The remainder of his first 24 hours shift consisted of several more runs, some with just the engine and a couple more with the full station. Roy kept an eye on his two paramedics, who had obviously figured out who would be riding in with the patient; but that seemed to be the only change from the first call. Roy reasoned that he'd just spoken with them and maybe they'd get together on their days off to work out their system. He was concerned though when he noticed, that other than eating, the two men were never in the same room, at the same time.

The rest of his crew seemed to have their acts together. His engineer was good. Roy was willing to admit Mike Stoker was better, but Andy Bongers definitely had his act together. He shared many of Mike's qualities, observant and patient; but he definitely had the gift of gab. Jeff and Chuck had worked together over ten years, and they worked together as efficiently as Marco and Chet. They both seemed friendly enough.

Several times during the day, Roy missed having Johnny with him. He would've appreciated being able to bounce some things off his partner and been able to relax watching Gage just enjoy the day, or even go off on some tangent. The day had a seriousness that hadn't existed at 51s. Maybe it was just due to it being the first day of a new Captain, maybe it was the combination of personalities in the crew, but Roy worried, that maybe it was him. He knew he'd been the more serious, reserved one, compared to Johnny. Maybe the levity he'd enjoyed for the last 7 years, was because of Johnny, and he was too serious to have that without him.

E

Michael stood as Dixie wheeled Katrina down the hall in a wheelchair. Katrina didn't look happy.

"If you'll show me where your car is, I can follow you out," Dixie suggested.

"I can walk just fine," Katrina objected. "You just said I had to stay in this thing to the door."

"It wouldn't hurt you to let her give you a ride to the car," Michael suggested.

"It's not necessary, thank you," Katrina said curtly.

Dixie just rolled her eyes and shrugged.

Michael walked next to Dixie until the exit. Dixie stopped just past the doors and set the brakes on the wheelchair. Katrina slowly rose, and made a small grunting sound as she placed weight on her bruised hip.

"Why don't you just let her wheel you to the car," Michael said again.

Katrina just looked at him.

He held up his hands. "Okay, okay."

Dixie watched for several seconds as Katrina and Michael moved slowly across the parking lot to Michael's car.

"I appreciate you waiting to give me a ride. I could've called a cab," Katrina said, as Michael opened the passenger door for her.

Michael let her get situated and closed the door. He didn't say anything until he had rounded the car and got into the driver's seat. He put the key in the ignition, and started the car. He placed his hands on the steering wheel, but didn't put the car into gear. "Why didn't you tell me?" He continued facing forward, not looking at Katrina.

Katrina was quiet for a long time and he thought perhaps she wasn't going to answer him. "What was I supposed to say, someone's picking on me? I'm a grown-up. I'm not a tattletale. I knew there were gonna be obstacles, that some people weren't going to be okay with a female firefighter. I didn't expect it to be quite this bad, but I expected problems," Katrina finally said.

"Who's doing it?"

"I don't know," Katrina said quietly, looking down at her hands.

Michael looked over at her. She looked up and met his eyes. "Honestly, I don't. I have my suspicions; but I've never actually seen him. He's always behind me, or it's dark."

"Who do you think it is?" Michael asked. He was angry at her for not telling him. But, he knew his anger was more from the guilt he felt for not seeing it himself. No, if he was honest with himself, he'd seen it, he just hadn't done anything about it. But, he hadn't known it was this bad.

"Did I fail this last exercise?" Katrina asked, turning to look out the window. She didn't want him to see the tears that threatened to fall. She'd worked so hard and endured so much, to fail this close to the finish line would be torture.

"What?" Michael asked, confused by her question.

"I didn't complete the task; I was injured. Did I fail the exercise?" Katrina continued to look out the passenger window.

Michael pulled the bandana out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You aced it," he said quietly.

Katrina dropped her head and looked at the bandana. She bit her lip, trying desperately to stop the tears she now felt stinging her eyes.

"Who do you think is doing this, Katrina?" Michael asked again.

Katrina shook her head.

"I have to know," he insisted.

"No. It's just suspicions, I can't prove anything and I won't speculate. It isn't fair," Katrina said, shaking her head.

"Katrina…"

"No, sir. I won't make guesses, what if I'm wrong," Katrina insisted. After a few second pause, she asked, "What happens now?"

"I want you taking tomorrow off. Then we have a couple of classroom days, two days are exams; next Thursday is your final physical challenge and then that Friday, you'll be a full-fledged fireman/paramedic. Fire fighter/Paramedic," Michael corrected himself.

"So we can just forget about today?" Katrina asked hopefully.

Michael shook his head. "No. No, I can't do that. Whoever did this, they can't be allowed to go out and represent the fire department. Our job is to help others, not try to hurt them, or worse."

"But, how are you gonna…"

"You let me worry about how things play out going forward. You just watch your back," Michael gave her a small smile.

Michael put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. She was staying at the fire academy, but in the old nurse's quarters, instead of the dorm with the male recruits. They drove for a few minutes before another thought hit Katrina.

"You don't have to put this in my file do you?"

Michael was quiet, knowing she wasn't going to like the answer.

"What's my new Captain gonna think?" Katrina asked, understanding Michael's silence for an affirmative answer.

"That you endured really horrible treatment and still came out at the top of your class, meaning you're tenacious."

"He's gonna think I'm trouble, and a snitch," Katrina felt sick to her stomach.

"He won't. If you want, I'll personally talk to the Captain of wherever you're assigned. Once the new squad is created. You're gonna work as a fill-in for a little bit, right?"

"That's worse, it'll look like I'm asking for special favors. Just please, document the bare minimum you have to. I'll deal with the rest, when I get there," Katrina said. She rested her head against the glass of the passenger window. She just wanted the 18th to get here. She knew once she got to a station, she could prove to the crew that she could be an asset to them.

Michael pulled up to the front of the building where Katrina was staying and put the car in park. "Do you think you're safe here?" It suddenly occurred to him, with graduation only a few days away, the person trying to hurt her may try during off hours. He'd already proven he was getting more violent.

"I'll be fine," Katrina said, hoping she sounded more sure than she felt. She slowly got out of the car and walked to the building. The outer door to the building was unlocked, but the room she was staying in did have a lock.

She was just opening the door when Michael joined her. "Let me check out the building before you go in," he said.

She started to object, but he merely moved passed her and started walking around the small building. He waited until she unlocked her door. He looked around her room, which was very neat and organized. He checked the closet and went into the adjoining bathroom, moving back the shower curtain. "Looks like you're set," Michael said, moving to stand near her.

"Thanks, dad," Katrina joked, trying to keep the mood light.

"You call me, if you have any problems," he met her eyes, to make sure she knew he was serious.

"I will."

"I mean it," he said sternly.

"Okay, thank you, sir," Katrina said.

"Lock the door behind me," he said, as he exited her room.

"I will," she said.

He waited outside the door until he heard the lock click into place and then made his way back to his car.

Katrina moved into the bathroom, carefully removing her clothing. She turned the shower on as hot as her skin could tolerate and stepped under the stinging spray, trying to get her muscles to relax. Dr. Brackett had given her pain medication, but she was hoping to avoid taking it.

She ran her towel across the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door when she stepped out of the shower, wiping away the steam and stared at the dark purple bruises forming on her left side and hip. It's a good thing I don't have a boyfriend, she thought. He'd be totally grossed out by me, right now.

She moved slowly into her bedroom, slipping into a soft nightgown and sliding under her covers. It was a bit early for bed, but she was exhausted. After several minutes of trying to get comfortable she threw back the covers and walked over to her purse. She took out the bottle of pain pills, broke one in half and walked into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and dipped her head down to get a mouthful of water. She swallowed half the pill and went back to bed. She fell asleep soon after the pill took effect, taking the sharp edge off the pain.

E

Johnny leaned back in his chair and let the silence of the station permeate his being. He'd recorded all of their runs in the log in explicit detail and reviewed them twice to make sure they were accurate. They had 9 runs for the engine and 12 runs for the paramedics and it was just after 11:30 PM. The men had all turned in, but Johnny wanted to make sure his log book was perfect.

He lifted the coffee cup to his lips and grimaced as he took a drink of the now cold brew. He pushed back in his chair and walked to the kitchen. He dumped his coffee and cleaned the mug, placing it in the cupboard.

He leaned back and looked over the kitchen area. The paint was peeling at the baseboards and the floor was dingy from years of wear. The Formica of the counter tops was scratched and lacked any shine. The men of the station were high caliber, and it was a busy station, but it was old and in serious need of some repairs. Mostly cosmetic, which is probably why they hadn't been done, but even a fresh coat of paint would help the place look less depressing.

Johnny rubbed his finger across his upper lip. Was it the building that was depressing, or just his mood. He missed the comradery of his former shift mates. Mike Stoker's calm demeanor, Marco's easy personality. Captain Stanley's firm, but friendly leadership style. He even missed Chet's hijinks, but he'd never admit that to anyone. Most of all, he missed Roy. The ease of which they worked together, the ability to know what the other one was thinking without saying a word. He could look at Roy and understand so much by just taking in the set of his mouth, and the look in his eyes. Johnny sighed and moved toward the locker room. His bunkers were already beside his bed, ready to be slipped on in a moment's notice. Johnny took off his shirt and dropped it into his bag. He did the same with his pants. He would put on a fresh uniform for the couple's hours of duty in the morning.

Johnny wandered into the dorm in his boxers and t-shirt and paused at the doorway to take in the sleeping men. Johnny noticed the different timber of the room. He'd never realized how much you got used to the sleeping sounds of your crew mates. The noises here at night were very different from what he was used to.

Johnny slipped into his bunk and slung his arm over his face. He turned his head and instead of seeing Roy to his left, he saw a concrete wall, with an old desk leaning against it. Johnny closed his eyes and tried to stop the thoughts running through his head. He missed Station 51.

E

Dark eyes watched from the shadows as Michael Henry walked Katrina into the old nurse's office; presumably walking her to her room. Or was there something going on between the female recruit and the senior trainer, he wondered. That would explain why she was receiving such high scores.

The figure stepped back slightly as Michael exited the building just a few minutes later. He couldn't believe she was already back from the hospital. Someone had to get rid of her. There was one more shot; the last physical challenge. They did that test individually, only one person in the tower at a time. He thought through that obstacle. He could arrange an accident, but she'd have to be the first one through the course. He wasn't sure he could arrange that without raising suspicion when she got hurt. He had to make it seem like her idea to go first. He had two days to plant that seed in her head.

He smiled smugly, that wouldn't be hard; women could be so easy to manipulate.

He walked toward the fire tower, making sure to stay in the shadows. He needed to look around and see how best to create an accident. No woman could do this job, he was protecting all the firemen that would have had to work with her. Her lack of skills and strength would eventually get someone killed. Stopping her before she could do that was the most humane thing he could do.

He slipped into the tower and slowly made his way around each floor. On the top floor, he saw exactly what he needed. He could arrange to loosen this beam and rig it so when she opened the door, the beam would swing free and hit her directly in the chest. The force should push her into the window. Just a few turns of a nut, a crack in a wooden beam and a lose window frame and he would have the perfect accident. He made his way back to the dorm and slipped into bed. The other recruits were sound asleep, not that it mattered to much. If today was any indication they felt the same way he did and while some of them may be too chicken to take action, he knew at least one other person supported the action he was about to take. Several men had even participated in the beginning, making sure she felt the physical demands of this job. No one had voiced an objection when he'd made it very clear she couldn't be allowed to complete the academy.

E

Roy dropped his bag by the washing machine and entered the kitchen. He looked up at the clock. Joanne would be home soon from dropping the kids off at school. He wondered if he had time to call Johnny. He decided to wait, instead, he went up the stairs and got into the shower. He wasn't surprised when Joanne joined him a few minutes later. He let her slide under the spray of the water as he poured her shampoo into his palm and began to wash her hair, gathering her auburn hair up in his hands and letting his fingers massage her scalp. She lathered her hands up with soap and began to run them over his body. He groaned when she moved them below his waist. He pressed her against the wall, dropping his lips to her neck. He didn't bother letting her dry off before he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom to their bed.

After they made love, they lay wrapped in each other's arms. "How was your first day as Captain?"

"Most of the crew seems really good. I like the Engineer, Andy, he reminds me a lot of Stoker. The linesmen, Jeff and Chuck, actually finish each other's sentences. But, my paramedic team is a mess. Their medical skills are fine, but they don't communicate, they trample all over each other, they almost fell on a patient their first run with me. I sat them down and had a talk with them, but one guy is so belligerent," Roy shook his head, recalling his meeting with Pat and Josh.

Joanne smiled.

"I know, it sounds funny, but it really isn't," Roy said.

"That wasn't why I smiled," she whispered as she nuzzled Roy's neck.

"They why are you smiling?"

"Because before, when I asked how your day was, you always just said, fine. No matter what happened, you just said fine, and that was all you said. You just said more about your job, then I've heard the last 7 years."

"Joanne…"

Joanne propped herself up on her elbow. "I know. You didn't want to burden me with bad things you saw day to day. But, that's why I'm so happy about this promotion. Don't get me wrong, I love that you'll be safer, and the extra money is nice. But, now I get a part of you that, you always kept from me before, that you only shared with Johnny and the rest of the guys."

"I was gonna call Johnny when I got home," Roy said.

"I don't mind you sharing with Johnny, I just want you to share with me too," Joanne said.

"Why don't you let me change our sheets and get the laundry started and we can go out. Let's go walk the beach," Joanne suggested, running her fingers through Roy's hair.

"I'll change the sheets and start the laundry. You go get ready," Roy said, dropping one more kiss on her lips and then rolling out of bed to find clothes.

Roy got dressed and stripped the sheets, quickly making the bed. He walked downstairs and put the sheets in the hamper for the next load, but for now he dropped his uniforms into the washing machine. He straightened up the kitchen, washing the few dishes in the sink from the kid's breakfast. Roy looked over at the phone. He wondered how Johnny's first shift as a Captain had gone. He'd just picked up the receiver and started dialing the familiar number when Joanne walked down the stairs.

"Ready?"

Roy looked at Joanne. He placed the receiver back on the hook. "Sure."

E

Johnny unlocked his apartment door and kicked off his shoes. He dropped his keys and wallet in the bowl by the door and carried his bag directly to the washing machine, dropping his uniforms into the machine. He stripped off the clothes he was wearing, adding them to the machine. He added detergent and started the machine.

Johnny padded naked down the hallway to the bathroom. He started the water and when it was hot, stepped in for a quick shower. He toweled off and walked into his bedroom to get dressed. After getting dressed, he walked into the kitchen to see what he needed to get from the grocery store. He figured Roy would want to spend the first few minutes he was home with Joanne. He would do his grocery shopping and then give Roy a call.

Johnny finished unloading his groceries and then picked up the phone, quickly dialing Roy's number. He listened to the phone ring and ring. Finally, he hung up and started doing the few chores around the apartment that needed to be done. He figured Roy would call him as soon as he was free. He wondered how he liked his new crew.

Johnny finished his chores and decided to make lunch. He fixed a sandwich and dumped some chips on the plate. He poured himself a large glass of milk and decided to see what was on the TV while he ate. Johnny watched a couple of programs, and then cleaned up lunch. It was almost 2:00 PM and Roy still hadn't called.

Johnny moved to the phone and dialed Roy's number again. The kids would be home from school soon and Johnny knew that Roy would be busy until he put them to bed. The phone continued to just ring. Johnny decided to give Jeannette a call and see if she wanted to grab dinner and a movie. Her phone also just rang and rang. Johnny tried a few more numbers, finally reaching Susie, who was free and agreed that dinner and a movie sounded nice. He left the apartment a few minutes later to pick her up.

Roy and Joanne picked up the kids on the way home from their beach adventure. Before Roy even knew it, it was time to put the kids to bed. Once he had tucked in both Chris and Jennifer, Roy finally got a chance to try to give Johnny a call. He listened as the phone rang and rang.

"Want to have movie night?" Joanne asked.

Roy hung up the receiver. "I'll make us some popcorn."

"I'll go dim the lights and find a blanket to snuggle under," Joanne smiled.

By the time Johnny got home from his date, he knew it was too late to call Roy. They'd definitely connect tomorrow.

E

Mike entered the back door of Station 51 and was surprised to see Chet sitting at the table, already dressed in uniform. "You're in early?"

"Yeah, I was awake so I'd figure I'd just come in," Chet said glumly. "Do you know who we're gonna have as a paramedic team today?"

Mike struggled to hide his smile. Chet was really missing Johnny and Roy; heck, they all were. Having temporary paramedics and unable to find a new pigeon was already wearing on him, and it had only been a few shifts. "Rogers and Maixner," Mike answered.

"When are we getting permanent people again?"

Mike shrugged. "Apparently, there are some issues with that. You know a few weeks ago, they had a paramedic injured over at 8s; well I guess his injuries are more severe than originally thought, so they needed to replace him. Jensen went there. It's closer to his home, but he was originally scheduled to be one of ours. Then, a paramedic at Gage's new station, just got promoted to Engineer. They have a class from the Fire Academy graduating next week with 4 new paramedics. One will go to Gage, and I guess we'll get two. Not sure what happens with the fourth, but another class will start soon, so maybe they'll make a new rescue squad somewhere."

"We're gonna have two new boots?" Mike groaned and the look of excitement on Chet's face.

"Chet," Mike said, his tone carrying a note of warning.

"Two new pigeons," Chet rubbed his hands together. "Oh, this is too good. When did you say they were gonna start?'

Mike rolled his eyes. "The class graduates on Friday, the 16th, so their first shift will probably be Saturday, the 17th."

"I've got to start making plans," Chet said, getting up and wandering toward the locker room.

Mike sighed. He hoped these guys were as good of sports as Gage had been, or Chet could find himself in some pretty hot water.


	4. Chapter 4

Johnny gave up trying to reach Roy, apparently he'd gone out for the morning, his phone was just ringing. Johnny tried calling a couple of girl's in his book, but tossed it on the table after the third call went unanswered. Johnny blew out a deep breath and looked around the apartment. He needed to get out.

He grabbed his keys and wallet and headed toward the private beach alcove. It didn't take him long to get to the spot where he parked. He secured the rope and quickly descended to the beach. He looked around and felt a twinge of disappointment, when he realized he was alone. He'd always liked this spot, for the very reason that he could be alone, but since running into Kat a couple of days ago, well, he wouldn't of minded, if she'd been there.

Johnny leaned against a rock and looked out at the horizon, watching a sail boat in the distance. He felt restless, and after several minutes decided sitting here today, wasn't gonna work for him.

Johnny quickly climbed back up the rope and pulled out onto the road. He headed toward Santa Barbara. He decided he would swing by Roy's house on his way home, just after dinner, and see the whole family. Unfortunately, a series of mishaps, including a flat tire, caused Johnny to get back to his apartment much later than he'd wanted. He quickly threw his stuff in his bag for the next day's shift and went to bed.

E

Kat slowly reached up to see if there was any way she could reach her surf board. At the sharp pain in her ribs, that caused her to suck in a quick breath, she decided not to try it. She looked out at the public beach. She had no interest in hanging around all these people today. Getting to the private beach cove wasn't gonna happen without her surf board. Katrina slowly got back in her car. She'd try stopping by her yoga instructors home, see if she had time to fit her in for a private lesson. Kat knew she needed to get the stiffness out of her muscles, if she had any chances of passing her last physical test. Maybe she'd get a massage too, she thought, as she pulled out into traffic.

E

Roy did a double take, thinking he saw Johnny down the next aisle. Roy shook his head; it was highly unlikely Johnny would be spending his day off at an antique shop. Roy knew the issue was that he hadn't spoken to his partner since the graduation ceremony. He would be back on duty tomorrow and he still hadn't had a chance to talk to Johnny about their first day as Captains.

"Something wrong," Joanne asked, slipping her arm trough Roy's.

"No, nothing," Roy said, forcing a smile.

"Bored?"

"A little," Roy admitted. "Actually, I was just thinking about Johnny."

"Oh yeah, how was his first day as a Captain?" Joanne asked.

"I don't know. I still haven't talked to him," Roy admitted.

"I thought you were gonna call him before we went to bed last night?" Joanne said, surprised by his answer.

"I tried, he wasn't home."

"Look, you're bored, and I'm not really looking to buy anything. Why don't we head home and you can have Johnny over for dinner?" Joanne suggested. "After dinner, I'll take the kids to the park and give the two of you time to talk."

Roy pulled her close and dropped a kiss on her temple. "Thanks, that sounds great."

Roy called Johnny as soon as they walked into the house. He listened to Johnny's phone ring for almost a minute and finally put the receiver back on the hook. "I guess he decided to go out," Roy said quietly.

"You can try him again in a bit," Joanne said. "I'll make enough hamburgers, just in case."

E

"Anyone up for breakfast?" Chet asked hopefully as the guys finished their shift.

Captain Stanley looked at his junior linesman. Chet hadn't been himself since DeSoto and Gage had been promoted. "Sure, Chet, I could go for some bacon and eggs," Captain Stanley said, taking pity on his crew member.

"Yeah, sounds good," Stoker agreed.

"Carla's?" Marco suggested.

"Yeah, sure," Chet agreed, a smile crossing his face.

Tara smiled when she saw the men from Station 51s A shift come into the restaurant. She motioned toward their usual back table, "I'll be there in a minute," she said.

She carried over four cups and a pot of coffee, menus tucked under her arm; as she walked over to their table. "Hi, guys. How ya doin'? Tony's cooking, I highly recommend omelets today," she said. She sat down the cups and filled all four. "No new paramedic team yet?" Tara asked.

"Not yet, probably not until next weekend," Captain Stanley said, reaching for his cup of coffee.

Tina nodded. She noticed the sad looks, so she didn't pursue any more questions.

"Cap, have you heard how Roy and Johnny's first shift went?" Mike asked, reaching for a breadstick out of the bread basket.

"No, I haven't heard from either of them," Captain Stanley said.

"I'm worried about Gage," Chet said. "Being the youngest Captain in the department, the guys may not take that too well."

"I'm not worried about him," Captain Stanley said. "Gage is good, one of the best. He aced the Captain's exam and has a way of naturally connecting with people. 36 has a good crew, they'll welcome him in and treat him with respect."

"What about Roy's assignment?" Marco asked.

Captain Stanley, shrugged, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Problem with Roy's assignment, Cap?" Chet asked.

Captain Stanley looked over at Mike.

"According to Andy, his engineer, he's gonna have problems with his paramedics," Mike said. "Andy's good. I like the guy a lot. His two linesman, have been together over a decade and are a great team. But, according to Andy, the paramedics are nightmares. They hate each other and can't get past their personal feelings to get the job done."

Chet and Marco exchanged glances. "Mike, didn't you say Gage was losing one of his paramedics?" Chet asked.

"Yeah, Jack King just got promoted to engineer. He's going over to 24s," Mike said.

"Do you think that's gonna cause Gage trouble?" Chet asked.

"Chet," Captain Stanley said, his voice exasperated. "Gage is a Captain now, and no longer at 51. You're gonna have to break in a new pigeon."

"Yeah, well, I've heard we're getting two new boots, so, I'm thinkin' that's gonna be pretty easy," Chet said, a wicked smile on his face.

"You'd better just hope they're willing to put up with your pranks, otherwise, you and I could be spending a lot of time in my office," Captain Stanley said, leaning back as Tara brought out four omelets with hash browns, bacon and toast.

"They're new, they'll put up with it," Chet said, his mouth full of eggs.

"Chet, are ya trying to take over Gage's role for worst table manners," Marco asked.

Chet swallowed, "Sorry."

"We should plan a bar-b-que in a couple of weeks. Give the guys a chance to settle in and then get all of us together," Marco suggested. "We could all get together at my house?"

Captain Stanley smiled. "That's a great idea, Marco. It's easy to lose touch, once crew members move on. I'd like us to try to avoid that happening."

Mike nodded. He'd always thought of the men of 51s A shift as his family. The loss of Gage and Desoto was hitting him harder than he was letting the other men see. He knew that Chet often went on fishing trips with Johnny and Roy, something he'd never done, but he still considered them good friends.

"I'll try to get in touch with Gage and DeSoto tomorrow when they get off shift," Marco said. "We have the new paramedics starting the 17th, let's plan the following Sunday afternoon, the 25th.

"Sounds good," the men all agreed. They enjoyed their breakfast, feeling better now that a plan was in place to get all 6 of them together soon.

E

Johnny walked into the station and directly to the Captain's office. Captain Trainor was just walking out of the office. "Let me go refill my coffee and we can do the shift hand-off," he said, walking toward the kitchen with his empty cup.

Johnny unlocked his drawer and pulled out his log book. He entered the date. He looked over the desk, each captain was allowed 2 picture frames on the desk. He looked at the picture of Captain Trainor's family. He had 4 kids and there was a picture of him, his wife and all four kids at Disneyland. They were all wearing hats with Mickey ears. The other picture was just of his wife, standing on a pier somewhere, the sun setting behind her. She was a pretty woman, with an easy smile. Johnny understood why he had chosen to put up that picture.

The C-shift Captain was Tom Eagan. Captain Eagan also had a picture of him and his wife, holding their twin boys as newborns. The other picture was of him and his wife on their wedding day. She wasn't quite as pretty as Captain Trainor's wife, but she was still a pretty lady, especially with the radiant smile she was wearing in both pictures. Johnny looked at the blank spot where his pictures would go. He wasn't sure what he should put there. He thought about a couple of options, but next to the pictures of the other Captain's families, each option he thought of was a bit depressing.

Captain Trainor walked in and took a seat in the other chair. "Everything okay?" He thought Johnny looked a bit sad when he walked into the office.

"Yeah," Johnny said quickly, flashing a crooked grin. "I was just admiring your photos. Your wife is very pretty."

Captain Trainor smiled. "She sure is. Smart as a whip too, not sure how she ended up with a schmuck like me, but I'm grateful she did."

Johnny smiled at the look on Captain Trainor's face. He obviously really loved his wife; but Johnny felt a pang of loneliness. "So, what happened last shift?" Johnny asked, getting the subject back to an area where he was comfortable.

Captain Trainor spent time reviewing his log with Johnny and then headed out to start his day off.

Johnny wandered into the kitchen to get some coffee before roll call. Scott Taylor and Kevin Platt, his two linesman, were already in the kitchen.

"Good Morning, Captain Gage. Would you like some coffee?" Scott asked, holding out the coffee pot.

"Definitely," Johnny said, moving toward the man and holding out his coffee cup.

Scott filled up the cup. "Did you enjoy your days off?"

Johnny hesitated only for a second. "Sure did. I took off to Santa Barbara yesterday. It was great, except for the flat tire on the way home. What about you guys?"

"Well, Kevin's beat mine, so I'll let him go first," Scott said, a mischievous smile on his face.

"Yeah, whatdya do?" Johnny asked, flashing the junior linesman his trademark grin.

"I got engaged," Kevin said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Wow, man, congratulations," Johnny said, extending his hand. "When's the big day?"

"As soon as we can," Kevin said. "She and her mom are looking for places to hold the reception today. The date will depend on when we can find a place. I thought this would be easy. Turns out, people reserve these venues like a year, sometimes two years, in advance. I was hoping to get married this summer, but Linda said it would probably be this fall."

"Well, that's still pretty quick," Johnny said.

"I'm gonna be 27 years old in July. I was really hoping to tie the knot before then. At least I'll be engaged," Kevin said. "I better go get changed."

"I thought only women worried about how old they were in relation to getting married," Johnny commented to Scott.

"Kevin's wanted to get married ever since I met him two years ago. The guy just doesn't like being alone. But, Linda's great for him. She can't wait to be a wife and mother. They're perfect for each other. Besides, I think Kevin felt a little left out, being the only single guy," Scott summed up.

Johnny merely nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, sorry, that is until you got here Captain Gage. Not that there's anything wrong with being single anyway. I mean, I uh, I really enjoyed my time being single, well until I met Carol. Not, that…" Scott started to stammer, backpedaling his comments.

"Relax, Scott. I'm fine being single. I do actually enjoy it, but my best friend is married. I don't think one is better than the other, just different. When you want to be single, it's great. When you're ready to settle down with one person, I'm sure marriage is great," Johnny said.

"Yeah, we've heard about you and all the nurses are Rampart," Scott said with a grin.

"What have you heard?" Johnny asked, lowering his cup.

"Oh, nothin'. I mean, just that you ask a lot of the nurses out at Rampart. I mean, I think that's great. A lot of the single guys in the department date the nurses. And, uh, I'm sure bein' you were a paramedic, you, um, you probably see them a lot," Scott started stammering again.

"I'd better go get ready for roll call," Johnny said, needing to find an escape.

Johnny closed the door to his office, needing a few minutes to himself. What had Scott heard? What were people saying about him and his dating history? Were they hearing he struck out all the time? Or did he have a reputation as a player? Johnny realized he didn't like either picture of himself. It certainly wasn't how he thought of himself. Yes, he asked out a lot of women, and a lot turned him down, but a lot said yes. But, he wasn't a player, he just hadn't wanted to settle down yet. But, lately, Johnny looked at the clock, stopping that train of thought. He needed to get ready for roll call.

Johnny noticed that Scott avoided eye contact when he took his position in front of the crew. Johnny started going over the plans for the day. Lots of safety checks and hydrant checks needed to be completed. He reminded the men to check the chore chart on the bulletin board and then went back into his office to work on some paperwork. He again stared at the spots for his pictures on the desk and fought to keep the depression from sinking in. He'd never before felt like being single was a bad thing, and he'd thought about settling down once before, but the last few days he felt he was constantly being reminded that he didn't have anyone to share his life with. Since Roy had been unavailable the last couple of days, and he hadn't had the comradery of his other crew mates, even when just on shift, he'd felt very alone.

Matters only got worse when Johnny did not hear from Roy on their next days off. He had talked to Joanne once. She had told him that Roy had tried to reach him for dinner the day he went to Santa Barbara. "I've got a few ideas about his paramedic team problem, Joanne. Tell him to call me when he gets home, okay," Johnny ended the call and made sure he stayed home the rest of his time off. Only the call from Roy never came.

E

Roy stood at the entrance of his office, sipping his coffee, after roll call and watched the men move to start their daily assignment. Pat reached for the drug box and started the inventory check, while Josh checked the biophone and ran the test strip. They still didn't speak during the process, but obviously had worked out a plan. Roy hoped they'd improved their communication for the runs as well.

Roy got a chance to see first-hand that they had not improved their ability to communicate on a run first hand less than an hour later. The station was called out for a house fire. When they arrived on scene, a woman ran up to him and told him her kids had been home while she ran to the store and she couldn't find either one of them. She thought they might be in their bedrooms.

"Where are their bedrooms?" Roy asked.

"Second floor. Both to the right of the staircase," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Pat, Josh," Roy called to his paramedics. "You've got two kids probably trapped in the house. Their bedrooms are up the stairs and to the right. Jeff, Chuck, run and inch and a half into the house and get Pat and Josh clearance. We've got to get those kids out, right now."

Pat and Josh moved into the house behind Jeff and Chuck. Roy watched the house in front of him, frequently checking in with Andy on how they were doing with water pressure, etc. Roy could see the black smoke billowing out of the upstairs bedrooms. His paramedics should be out of the house by now.

Finally, Roy saw one of them coming out, carrying a boy over his shoulder. Roy moved to meet him and helped him lay the boy on the ground. "Where's Pat?" Roy asked.

"I don't know," Josh said.

"You didn't check to see if he found the other child?" Roy was surprised, but maybe they'd agreed they would both check certain rooms and just get out with the victim as soon as possible.

"No. I took the right side of the hallway, he was taking the left," Josh said, moving to put oxygen on the boy.

"What if he couldn't find the other child, was he going to check downstairs?"

"I don't know," Josh said. He was taking the boys pulse now.

Roy scrubbed his hands over his face. He grabbed the H-T out of his pocket. "Jeff, Chuck, have either of you seen Pat and the other victim?"

"Negative, Cap. Do you want us to go look for him?" Jeff's muffled voice came through the radio.

Roy watched as Station 24 pulled up. "Negative, keep working the fire," Roy said, as he moved to meet 24s Captain. "I need you to send your paramedics in. I've got a paramedic that hasn't come out and a possible child still trapped in the house. Mother thought she might be upstairs in her room, but we can't be sure."

24's Captain nodded and started giving orders to his men. Roy looked over at Josh, who was focused on his patient. He knew that if he'd been outside and Johnny had still been in that house, while he would've taken care of his patient, he would've absolutely been watching that door for Johnny to come out. He also knew that he and Johnny would've made sure all the upstairs rooms were checked and there was a plan to keep looking for the other victim, before either of them left.

Several tense minutes passed before Roy heard glass breaking on the side of the house. 24's two linesman moved from their positions of spraying water on the outside of the house, quickly grabbing a ladder and moving it to the side of the house. Roy watched as Pat stepped out onto the ladder and started carrying down a young girl.

Roy ran over to help take the girl and carry her over to the squad. Pat joining him just a few seconds later. Roy said nothing as he let Pat start working on the girl. Roy moved back to the scene and coordinated both the efforts of his crew and that of Station 24, since he'd been the first on scene.

Roy watched as Josh left in one ambulance and Pat began to load up in another. Neither had come to him to ask if someone could drive the squad to the hospital. Roy was half tempted to strand them there. Instead, he assigned clean up to 24 and Jeff and asked Chuck to take the squad and pick up his two paramedics.

His emotions were fluctuating between intense disappointment and boiling anger. He decided to seek some guidance from more senior Captains on how to deal with teammates that were not acting anything like a team, before he talk to his paramedic team.

Roy spent the rest of his shift and his days off calling other Captains and meeting with them to hear other horror stories and strategies that had been tried to help people work better together.

When he called Captain Stanley, he was pleased to hear about the idea of a bar-b-que for all the guys and their families. However, he felt a pang of guilt when Hank asked him how Johnny was fairing and Roy had to admit out loud, that they hadn't spoken in almost 2 weeks. Roy decided he was absolutely going to call him, but by the time he had finished creating a remedial plan for his two paramedics the days were gone and he had shift again the next day.

E

Michael Henry and two other trainers sat in the dark, two in the fire tower and one stationed outside watching the entrance. They each carried H-Ts. "I've got a figure approaching the tower," Jay Levenson said quietly into his H-T.

Paul was on the second floor of the tower and watched as the figured climbed the stairs past him. He keyed the radio twice to let Michael and Jay know the person had passed him, but didn't speak. Michael watched from a dark corner as the figure stopped on his floor. Michael watched as the man slowly turned the nuts holding the window frame to loosen it. Then, he watched as he worked to rig a beam to fall when the door was opened. The man had been working quickly, concentrating on his task, his back to the door where he had entered. He didn't notice when Jay and Paul joined Michael on the top floor of the tower.

Michael flipped on the high powered flashlight illuminating the room. "Tom?" Michael was surprised to find Tom Dickson creating the "accident" that would hurt another person.

"What? Wait? This, uh, this isn't what it looks like?" Tom stammered.

"It looks like your trying to finish what you started last week. Only this time you wanna make sure Katrina isn't back the same day," Michael summed up what he was seeing.

"Whoa, wait a minute, I had nothing to do with last week," Tom said. "I don't think she should be here. I don't think we should be letting women into the fire department. She's gonna get someone killed, I'm doing everyone a favor here. But, I didn't push her over that rail last week."

"No, you're just making sure a beam hits her and knocks her out a fourth story window," Michael said sarcastically.

"I'm just telling you, I'm not the only one who doesn't want her here," Tom said.

"Well, you're the only one that just got caught trying to seriously injure a fellow trainee; and that means you're done," Michael said. "Jay and Paul will escort you back the dorm where you can collect your things and leave."

"You're making a big mistake. She's gonna get into a situation in a fire that she can't handle and good men and innocent people are gonna die," Tom said, but he moved toward the staircase with Jay and Paul.

Michael secured the beam and the window frame; then he went to call the Chief and tell him what just happened. As he walked down the stairs, Michael wondered how much of what Tom said was true? Was there someone else trying to hurt Katrina? He knew she was capable of doing the job. He'd trained her, and he hadn't gone easy; having reservations about a female fire fighter himself, he'd been tough on her. But, she'd proven every step of the way that she was capable, professional and actually one of the best recruits he'd ever trained.

He would address his concerns with Chief McConnike.

E

Katrina stood slightly to the side of the group of recruits who would be completing the final physical challenge today. If everything went well, tomorrow she would officially graduate the fire academy and be an official fire fighter/paramedic. She looked around wondering where Tom could be; he wasn't known for being prompt, but he had never actually been late and it was now two minutes after 9:00 AM.

The trainers were all lined up in front of the tower, looking at the recruits. Finally, Michael Henry stepped forward and everyone stopped talking. "Gentleman, and Lady, as I am sure you've all noticed Tom Dickson is not with us today. Tom was found to be engaged in behavior that was not acceptable for someone representing the LA County Fire Department and he has been dismissed from the academy."

A mumble went through the recruits, a few of the men looked over at Katrina. She was looking at Michael. "We're not gonna discuss the situation beyond that. Now, let's get ready for your final training exam. We will be giving you your scores as soon as you exit the tower and letting you know if you have met the requirements to graduate tomorrow. Kory, you'll go first," Michael said. The trainers all moved to their positions, to begin evaluating each recruit's performance.

Each recruit passed the last physical exam and was advised they were eligible for graduation the next day. The guys were all slapping each other on the back and congratulating one another. Only Russ came over to Katrina. "Congratulations, Katrina. I don't know if I'll get to work with you in the future or not, but I wanted to wish you luck. You really did a great job," he said, extending his hand.

"Thanks, Russ," Katrina said, giving him a genuine smile.

However, Russ quickly left to join the guys who were all going out to celebrate, sans Katrina.

Michael walked over to her. "Chief McConnike would like to speak with you. Can you come to my office?"

Katrina merely nodded and followed Michael to his office where Chief McConnike was waiting.

"Katrina, congratulations," Chief McConnike extended his hand.

Katrina quickly accepted it. "Thank you, sir," she said, standing at attention.

"At ease, Katrina, please have a seat," Chief McConnike motioned to one of the empty chairs. Katrina sat down and Michael moved to lean against the wall, while the Chief sat behind his desk.

"I know we discussed having you work as a fill in paramedic for vacation and absences until a new squad was created, but with Tom not completing the program, we now have an opening at Station 36. It was originally going to be Tom and the current paramedic Steve Winters, but due to the Captain promotions, I also need to fill two paramedic spots at Station 51 on A shift. Captain Stanley, at 51, has never been a paramedic, and while I think he's an excellent Captain, I really don't want to assign to brand new paramedics to his station. The new Captain at 36, is a former paramedic, one of the best in the County, and I think assigning two new paramedics to his shift would be the better assignment. What I want to know, is do you think you can work with Kory Marks?"

Michael was watching Katrina as Chief McConnike spoke and he could've sworn he saw a flash of fear in her eyes when the Chief said Kory's name.

"Of course, Chief. Whatever you need me to do, sir," Katrina said, her tone formal and her face now completely expressionless.

"I ask, because Tom had indicated there may be someone else trying to hurt you. Do you think Tom was the person causing all of your injuries during training?"

Katrina concentrated on keeping her tone calm and her face expressionless. "I didn't know who was behind the incidents, sir. I'm sure I can work with anyone. I would be happy to be assigned wherever the department feels I am needed and can partner with anyone assigned to work with me."

Chief McConnike looked over the young woman. "Very well, then. I'm going to assign you to Station 36. You'll report to Captain John Gage on Sunday," Chief McConnike said, making a notation on the form in front of him.

"Did you say, John Gage, sir?" Katrina asked, her voice a bit unsure.

"Yes."

"Is he tall, about 6' 1", dark hair and dark eyes, a bit on the thin side?" Katrina asked, her voice now carrying a bit of a quiver.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

Katrina swallowed hard. She could not believe she had worked so hard and now one stupid afternoon was going to blow it all. "I know him, sir," Katrina said quietly. "We met a couple of weeks ago, on the beach."

"Are you dating him?" Chief McConnike asked, his voice carrying a note of disapproval.

"No, sir," Katrina said quickly. "We just saw each other that one day. He didn't tell me he worked for the Fire Department and I didn't tell him I was a recruit. We just spent the afternoon together, but we did share a kiss," Katrina spoke the last few words at barely above a whisper, looking down at her hands.

"Do you feel you could have a strictly professional relationship with him now?" Chief McConnike asked.

"Yes, sir," Katrina looked the Chief directly in the eyes.

"Captain Gage is on shift today. I will speak to him this afternoon and will let you know tomorrow how we are going to proceed," Chief McConnike stood up, signaling the meeting had ended.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," Katrina stood and quickly left the office.

Michael watched her walk out. "What now?"

"I'll speak to Captain Gage and see if he is honest with me about knowing Katrina. If he tells me about their meeting and assures me he can keep things professional, I still think it's the better assignment. Two new boots, and new to being paramedics, in the same station is going to be tough. If Captain Gage can make that team half as good and he and Captain DeSoto were, it'll be a win for the department."

"And if he doesn't tell you about knowing her?" Michael asked.

"Then, I've got a much bigger problem than where to put new paramedics. I've got to deal with a dishonest Captain," Chief McConnike said. He picked up Katrina's file and dropped it into his brief case. He'd give John the file, with her picture, so there was no way he would be unsure it was the same girl.


	5. Chapter 5

Johnny was sitting at the table with the members of Station 36, just finishing up lunch, when Chief McConnike walked in the back door.

"Chief McConnike," Johnny said surprised, he and the men all stood up and went to a stance of attention.

"At ease men, Captain Gage, can I see you in your office for a second?"

"Sure, Chief," Johnny moved toward his office, the Chief following closely behind.

"John, I'm sorry to throw another wrench in your crew, but I'm afraid I need to discuss another change with you," Chief McConnike said, as he sat down.

Johnny sat across from him. "Okay, sir, did something happen?"

"As a matter of fact, it did. Tom Dickson was dismissed from the fire academy yesterday. It appears he's been physically abusing one of the other recruits. We never saw him actually commit an act, but we caught him rigging what would've caused a very serious accident. No formal charges were pressed, because we can't prove the physical abuse, but we witnessed enough that he won't be a Los Angeles County Fire Fighter."

"That's too bad," Johnny said.

"I was originally sending two new recruits to Station 51 to replace you and DeSoto; but after thinking it through, I decided it's best to send the two new paramedics to you. Hank will have at least one experienced paramedic. You did such a great job as a paramedic; I know you can handle two beginners," Chief McConnike explained.

"Thank you, Chief. I'm sure it won't be a problem. Does that mean Steve Winters will be going to Station 51?"

"Yes, this will be his last shift with you. On Sunday, you'll be getting Kory Marks," Chief McConnike removed Kory's folder from his briefcase. "Did well in the academy, 8th in the class, 3rd of the 4 paramedics. Tom had ranked number two among the paramedics, but obviously he's now gone. You'll also be getting the first ranked paramedic, who ranked number 3 out of all the cadets."

Johnny sat watching the Chief for a minute. "Why do I feel like there's a catch somewhere?"

"Because there is," Chief McConnike said. "Your other paramedic is the first woman fire fighter for LA County."

Johnny looked at the Chief, unsure what to say. "I, uh, I didn't, I hadn't heard we had a female recruit in the academy," Johnny stammered. He couldn't believe that kind of news hadn't circulated as soon as she was accepted.

"Headquarters placed a tight gag on the situation. They wanted to make sure she'd pass before they dealt with the backlash."

"So, they knew people weren't gonna be happy," Johnny said, trying to figure out how he felt.

"It's gonna be an adjustment, John. But, I have a few reasons for wanting her to be under your command. First, for the most part, the men in this station are married, with the exception of you and now Kory Marks, so less chances of a romance. Second, you have a reputation for dating quite a lot of women, so you have plenty of other women to choose from, so you don't need to date her. Third, you're young, while you may not be sure how you feel about a woman fire fighter, you're at least comfortable with the idea of women in the workforce, which isn't the case with a lot of the Captain's in the department," Chief McConnike outlined his thinking on the assignment.

"Uh, sure, okay," Johnny said, still not sure how he felt about this latest bombshell.

"Here's her file," Chief McConnike said, handing Johnny another folder. "Her name is Katrina Conrad."

Chief McConnike watched Johnny closely. Johnny'd been looking at the folder, as he accepted it. At the name, he looked up at the Chief. He quickly took the folder and flipped it open, hoping against hope the picture would not be the Katrina he'd just met.

Johnny flipped open the folder and saw the headshot of a beautiful blonde woman with soft blue eyes and an engaging smile. "Uh, sir, I, um, I know Katrina Conrad already," Johnny said, uncertain how this news would change the Chief's recommendation. Not sure how he wanted it to change things. Certainly it would be easier not to have the first woman fire fighter in his station.

"What do you mean, you know her? Romantically?" Chief McConnike played dumb.

"No, well, sort of, I guess," Johnny started. He took a deep breath. "I met her a couple of weeks ago, at the beach. We spent the afternoon, just talking and hanging out. But, before she left for the night, I did kiss her," Johnny said.

"Did she know you were a Captain with the Fire Department?" Chief McConnike asked, wanting to check Katrina's story to him as well.

"No sir, we actually didn't talk about our jobs. I certainly would've never guessed she was a recruit," Johnny said.

"Do you think you can work with her professionally?" Chief McConnike asked.

Johnny hesitated; mainly because he wasn't sure how he felt about having the first female in the department under his command. But, a small part of him had really enjoyed Katrina's company and he would've liked to see where things could've gone. At the same time, he was a new Captain, this wasn't a time to be difficult, it was time to prove himself. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, I've got one more wrench to throw," Chief McConnike said.

Johnny struggled not to roll his eyes and simply said, "What's that, Chief?"

Chief McConnike removed another folder and set it on the desk, but he did not slide it to Johnny.

"I told you that Tom Dickson was dismissed for abusing another recruit. He was actually caught setting up an accident that could've seriously injured the person, if not killed them."

"And Katrina had been his target?"

"Yes, but he denies having caused her other injuries. Just before graduation, someone attacked Katrina during a drill and knocked her through a stair rail," Chief McConnike pushed the file toward Johnny. "Tom has denied causing these injuries."

Johnny opened the file and saw another picture of Katrina. This one showing a large bruise on her side, covering her ribs and another bruise on her hip. Johnny closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He remembered the bruise on her thigh. "She had a bad bruise on her thigh at the beach. I would've bet money it was caused by being kicked with a steel tipped boot. I thought maybe she was in an abusive relationship," Johnny said quietly.

"If Tom was telling the truth, I can't rule out Kory Marks as the person causing the injuries," Chief McConnike said.

"The guy assigned to be her partner?" Johnny asked, stunned by that piece of news.

"There were 19 guys in that class, it's unlikely the one I assigned to partner with her is the one abusing her. But, since I don't know he didn't do it and she won't give any indications of who she thinks was doing it, I wanted to give you full disclosure."

"Why won't she tell us who hurt her?" Johnny asked.

"She says she had suspicions, but never saw the person and won't speculate."

Johnny had to give her credit for not wanting to give false information, but how could he protect her, if he didn't know who to protect her from?

"You'll just have to keep an eye on their interactions, John. If you have concerns contact me and we'll figure out the appropriate way to deal with them," Chief McConnike said, standing up.

"Sir, are you going to let Katrina know I'm her Captain before she shows up on Sunday? I don't want her caught by surprise," Johnny asked.

"I'll make sure she feels she can have just a professional relationship with you, before I process the assignment," Chief McConnike said, not admitting he'd already spoken with Katrina.

"Thank you, sir," Johnny said, standing as the Chief did.

"I'm going to stop by on my way out and let Steve Winters know about the transfer to Station 51; is that okay with you?" Chief McConnike asked.

"Yes, Chief, that's fine with me," Johnny said.

He sat back down as the Chief left the office, and ran his hands through his hair. This was a lot of information to take in. First, getting a female on the shift was going to be a huge adjustment. To have it be Katrina, whom he'd shared a kiss with, was another complication. Add to the fact that she'd been being abused during training and potentially the person just partnered with her, could be her abuser; Johnny's head was spinning. He desperately needed to talk to someone.

Johnny picked up the office phone and dialed a familiar phone number.

"Stanley residence," a woman said.

"Beth?" Johnny asked.

"Hi, John. How's the new job working out?"

"It's, uh, it's interesting," Johnny said cryptically. "Is Cap around?"

"Sure, hold on," she said.

Johnny heard some rustling and then Captain Stanley's familiar voice came on the line. "Hey John, everything okay, aren't you working right now?"

"Yeah, I am. And I'm not sure if everything is okay. Would you be able to meet for breakfast tomorrow morning?" Johnny asked.

"Sure, Carla's at 9:00 AM?" Captain Stanley asked.

"That'd be great, thanks, Cap! I really appreciate it," Johnny felt relieved just making plans to talk to his former leader.

"You know, Johnny, we're the same rank now, you can call me Hank."

"Yeah, I don't know if I can do that," Johnny said. He heard the tones sound. "Gotta go, Cap."

Johnny quickly dropped the receiver on the hook and moved to write down the address for their next call. It was a warehouse fire, 2496 Baker Rd, Johnny handed the slip off to Steve and then to Ken, his engineer. Johnny boarded the engine and the station pulled out in response to the fire.

E

Roy had spent the last two days off working on an action plan for his paramedics, both as individuals and as a team. They had to improve their work communication, or he would need to take disciplinary actions. He had written a list of topics and was going to work with them on one topic each shift. He was also going to have them review their training books again, as they were messing up basic protocols. The meeting today would be an official conversation and documented in each of their files. Several of the Captains he had spoken with had stressed the importance of a paper trail for any Human Resources issue. He knew he'd have more paperwork when he took the role of Captain, but this was ridiculous, Roy thought as he pulled out several sheets of paper from his briefcase. He reviewed the plan one more time and then tried to psych himself up for the conversation with Josh and Pat.

Immediately following roll call, Roy asked Josh and Pat to step into his office. He outlined his concerns regarding their response at the house fire. "You're partners, the fact you didn't know where your partner was, is inexcusable. You didn't have a plan for making sure you found both your victims, and you didn't speak to me before leaving the scene to take your victims to the hospital; not to mention you both left the scene in an ambulance and hadn't arranged for someone to pick you up," Roy said during their meeting.

There were multiple back and forth comments, primarily from Josh, but Pat pushed back some as well. Especially when Roy told them this was an official documented conversation that would be placed in their administrative file.

"The bottom line gentleman, is that you have to learn how to work together, in a manner that does not jeopardize the safety and well-being of not only your patient, but also your partner," Roy summarized.

"And if we can't?" Pat asked.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be paramedics," Roy said.

He dismissed the men, providing each of them a copy of the expectations for the role of a paramedic, the goals and objectives with a time frame for accomplishing each area and a copy of the training plan.

Roy sat down and blew out a breath. This being a Captain was hard.

Roy jumped up at the tones sounded calling his station for a second alarm warehouse fire, 2496 Baker Rd. Roy wrote down the address and handed a slip to Josh and a slip to Andy and quickly assumed his seat in the engine.

E

Johnny breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Station 51 was already on site and Captain Hookraider was directing the scene. This was a big fire and Johnny wasn't sure he was ready to be in charge of directing multiple stations. He'd heard Station 101 called out after him, so he knew Roy would be here somewhere. They hadn't spoken to each other since graduation, it was now almost 3 weeks. He knew this would not be the time to catch up.

Johnny jumped out of the engine and moved over to Captain Hookraider. "Gage, have your linesman pull a two and a half and get up the East stairwell. Go with your paramedics and check Sections 6 – 8," Captain Hookraider ordered.

Johnny moved back to his crew and issued the orders, while slipping on his turnout. He entered the building with Steve and his temporary paramedic, Arthur.

Engine 101 rounded the corner as Johnny was slipping on his air mask and putting his helmet on his head. Roy felt a stab of regret as he watched Johnny moved toward the building. They hadn't spoken in almost a month. He was angry at himself for not working harder to get in touch with his best friend.

As soon as Engine 101 came to a stop, Roy jumped out of the engine and moved over to Captain Hookraider.

"DeSoto, have your linesman pull a two and a half, up the North stairwell. Then, go with your paramedics and check out Sections 3 – 5," Captain Hookraider told Roy.

Roy moved back to his crew and gave the orders. He slipped on his turnout coat and put on his air mask and helmet. He moved with Pat and Josh toward the building. The smoke was thick as they entered the building.

"Josh, you take the doors on the right. Pat, you take the ones on the left. I'll move ahead to make sure we aren't gonna run into any obstacles. As you clear each office, close the door and mark it with an X," Roy said.

"We know," Josh said.

"Make sure you're watching where your partner is at," Roy said. "You should know at all times."

Roy moved ahead, while Pat went into one office area and Josh into another. They had quickly cleared the offices down that hallway and moved into the larger warehouse area. The smoke was thicker here and hanging very low to the ground.

"It's gonna be easy to miss a victim in a situation like this. Work together, slowly moving counter-clockwise in a confined grid, making sure you are visualizing each area. I'll follow along behind you," Roy called over the roaring of the fire.

The guys had cleared about 20 feet in the warehouse when they came upon their first victim. "Pat, take him out," Roy ordered. They had come to another hallway leading into a training center with multiple classrooms. "Josh, clear the training center. I'll continue working the warehouse."

Josh moved into the training center while Roy walked deeper into the smoke filled warehouse.

E

Johnny, Steve and Arthur had almost cleared their section when they came across 5 men trapped by several fallen shelving units. Together they managed to move the debris and free the men. Luckily, three were able to walk out. Steve and Arthur both put a man over their shoulder and Johnny led everyone out of the building.

Steve and Arthur started triaging the men, as Johnny moved over to check in with Captain Hookraider. "Sections 6 – 8 are cleared," Johnny said. "There was some debris from the initial explosion, but limited smoke and no flames."

"Good, how about those men?" Captain Hookraider nodded to the injured men.

"Two have pretty serious injuries to their legs. The other three should be home tonight."

Johnny followed Captain Hookraider's gaze to the warehouse. One of the paramedics from Station 101 was coming out with a victim. Johnny moved over to help the man. "Bring him over by my paramedics with 36. They've set up a triage area. You can work in conjunction with them. Where are the other paramedic and Captain DeSoto?"

"They went to check out the warehouse section," Pat said, his voice giving away the struggle he was having carrying the victim.

Johnny helped take the victim from Pat and moved him over to the triage area. He watched as Arthur was relaying information to Rampart and Steve was checking each victim, chatting with the group and assuring them that they were going to be fine. He was going to miss him as a paramedic.

Johnny turned back to look at the warehouse and furrowed his brow as a man exited the building with a victim. Johnny moved toward him, he was still probably 20 feet away when he recognized the man as the other paramedic from Station 101. "Where's Roy?" Johnny called out. "Where's Captain DeSoto?" He corrected.

"I don't know. He was checking the warehouse, I was checking the Training Center," Josh said, moving toward the triage area.

"Does he know you left the building?"

"He told me to check the Training Center. My job is to get the victim out."

Johnny didn't waste time correcting the man in regards to his responsibilities to his partner, he just looked at Captain Hookraider, who had moved over near the two of them.

"Captain…," Johnny started.

"Go," Captain Hookraider said.

Johnny slipped his helmet back on and headed at a jog into Sections 3 – 5 of the warehouse. He hurried through the main hallway and into the warehouse section. He saw the entrance to the training center and started moving in a clockwise pattern, knowing Roy would've searched the warehouse in a counter-clockwise pattern and this may be the way to run into him quickly.

E

Roy had finished checking the warehouse and moved back to the spot where he and Josh had split. His air tank was sounding the alarm that he was dangerously low on air. He waited a full minute. When Josh still wasn't back, he moved toward the training area. Maybe he'd found several victims and needed help. Roy walked down the main hall, looking at door after door with white chalk marks.

He gasped when the air in his mask was suddenly depleted. He slipped his helmet off the back of his head and pulled off his mask. He coughed as he sucked in smoke. Roy came to a room where the door was still open. Roy quickly cleared the room. He walked down the hall a bit further and saw the remaining rooms had closed doors with X marks.

Roy started to move back toward the warehouse. He paused when he heard a loud cracking sound. He tried to move quickly, but was not quick enough. He felt the weight of the beam as it hit his shoulder, his knees buckling and he fell against the wall.

Roy grunted, and shoved at the beam, knocking it to the floor. He coughed again and felt his lungs burn as he sucked in more smoke. Roy began moving back toward the warehouse.

He had just entered the warehouse and was moving back to where Josh should be waiting when he felt hands grab him from behind, an air mask pushed over his face. He turned to see Johnny taking hold of his good arm and moving him toward the exit.

"I've got to find Josh," Roy said.

"He's out," Johnny said, a bite of anger in his voice. "You okay?"

"Shoulder," Roy said, before a coughing spasm made him double over.

Johnny put Roy's arm around his shoulder and helped move him out of the warehouse. He walked him over to the triage area. When Pat moved toward them, Johnny put out his hand to stop him. "Steve," Johnny called.

Steve moved over and took Roy, getting him down on a blanket and pulling over an oxygen mask. He started helping Roy out of his turnout.

Roy looked up briefly and locked eyes with Johnny.

Johnny flashed him his famous crooked grin and moved over to Captain Hookraider to find out where he was needed next.

E

Johnny was busy working the scene; but he made sure he kept an eye on his paramedic team and Roy. Steve jogged over to him. "I'm going to the hospital with the two victims with leg injuries. Arthur will follow in the squad. They'll send the three with minor injuries and Captain DeSoto by themselves in other ambulances, they don't need paramedics with them. Josh and Pat from Station 101 will stay here at the scene, in case there are any more injuries."

"Thanks," Johnny clamped a hand on Steve's shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you, man. You're good."

"Thanks, Cap," Steve said, moving back to the ambulance.

It was still a few hours before they'd managed to get out the fire and clean up the area. Johnny moved to his office to call Rampart. Dixie answered the phone.

"Hey, Dix, how's Roy?"

"Bruised shoulder, smoke inhalation. They'll send him home the rest of this shift, but he'll be back for his next shift," Dixie said.

"Did anyone call Joanne?" Johnny asked.

"I spoke to her a few minutes ago, she's on her way. We'll take care of him, Johnny," Dixie said, with a laugh.

"Seven years of looking out for each other, it's hard to turn that off," Johnny said, a bit of sadness in his voice.

"And you shouldn't," Dixie said emphatically. "Just cause you're not partners anymore, doesn't mean you're not friends."

"It might," Johnny said quietly. "We haven't spoken since graduation."

"I'm sure it's just adjusting to new circumstance, Johnny. Friendships like yours don't end in a few weeks."

"Will you let him know I called?"

"Sure," Dixie's smile could be heard through the phone.

E

Joanne hurried into the Emergency entrance of Rampart and quickly moved down the hall to the nurse's station. Dixie was standing at the desk, reviewing a chart.

"Dixie," Joanne called, as she hurried down the hallway.

"He's fine, Joanne. As I told you on the phone, just a bruised shoulder and some smoke inhalation. He'll be back at work next shift."

"I won't truly feel better until I see him," Joanne said, a bit breathlessly.

"C'mon, I'll take you to him," Dixie started them moving toward Treatment Room 2.

Joanne rushed toward Roy when Dixie opened the door. He was sitting on the bed, his shirt still off, his helmet resting beside him. Joanne put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I thought I wouldn't be doing this anymore, now that you were a Captain," she whispered.

"I'm fine," Roy said, wrapping his good arm around her waist.

"I just," Joanne shook her head. "I thought you were supposed to be safer now."

"I go into buildings less often, Jo, but I'm still a fire fighter, this is my job. I'm okay. Johnny got me out," Roy assured her.

"Johnny? You don't work with Johnny anymore," Joanne was confused, and briefly wondered if maybe Roy had bumped his head.

"There were multiple stations called out," Roy explained. "When my paramedic came out without me; Johnny came in to get me."

Joanne briefly closed her eyes. "I love that man," she whispered.

"Hey," Roy protested.

"I'm sorry, Roy. It's my fault you and Johnny haven't seen each other in the last few weeks."

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked.

"It wasn't intentional. But, I realized when I got the call today, that I was doing it."

"Doing what?" Roy asked, he was starting to wonder if he had a head injury. Joanne wasn't making any sense and that wasn't like her.

"I guess, I thought you couldn't get hurt in your new role. I've been making plans every day because I felt like I was guaranteed to have you home. I've liked the fact that you were sharing your job with me, and I wanted to keep you with me. I've been selfish," Joanne said, looking down at her hands.

Roy reached over and took her hands. "It's okay. I've enjoyed spending time with you."

"Liar," Joanne teased. "I've been keeping you way too busy."

"Our schedule has been pretty hectic," Roy admitted.

"It's crazy, and I know better," Joanne said.

"This isn't an easy job on the families," Roy said quietly, pulling Joanne close to him.

"I've been a fireman's wife a long time, Roy. This was a rookie wife mistake," Joanne said.

"You've only been a Captain's wife a few weeks. You're just adjusting to your new role. Same as me."

Joanne smiled at him. "Let's have Johnny over for dinner tomorrow night."

"I'll try to reach him tomorrow morning, when he gets off shift," Roy agreed. "Also, I got a call from Marco earlier, they're having a bar-b-que next weekend for all of us. Think we can go?"

"I'll get a sitter for the kids. It'd be nice to see everyone again."


	6. Chapter 6

_Authors Note: Thank you to Beaglewhisperer27 for pointing out an error in my story. I have revamped Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 due to her feedback._

E

Johnny arrived at Carla's a little before 9:00 AM. He made his way toward a back booth and smiled gratefully when the waitress hurried over with the coffee pot. He stopped her before she walked away, to have her fill the second cup, when he saw Captain Stanley's car pull into the parking lot.

Captain Stanley looked around briefly, when he walked into the restaurant and smiled when he caught Johnny's eye. He headed toward the back booth.

"How ya doin', John?"

Johnny blew out a breath. "I'm not sure, Cap. Chief McConnike dropped a bombshell, no several bombshells on me yesterday, and my head's still spinning," Johnny said, as he lifted the coffee cup to his lips.

"Yeah, he's good at that," Captain Stanley said wryly.

Johnny got a mischievous look in his eye. 'Now that I'm a Captain, you ever gonna tell me why you set his hat on fire?"

"Now's not the time for that, Johnny. What happened yesterday?"

Johnny hesitated, part of him still dying to know what happened. "Have they told you who your new paramedics are yet?" Johnny asked.

"No, I'm supposed to call the Chief this afternoon," Captain Stanley said.

"Well, I can tell you, one of them is Steve Winters, my paramedic over at 36. You'll like him, he's good, real good," Johnny said, taking another sip of coffee. "I think the other one is one of the new boots. I'm getting two new boots. Chief McConnike said being I was a paramedic, he thought it'd be good."

"He's probably right, you and Roy were the best. You're a good person to train two newbies."

"One's a woman," Johnny said, looking at Captain Stanley.

"What? How come we hadn't heard there was a woman in the academy? She's working as a rescue man, rescue woman, person?"

"Yeah, full-fledged fire fighter/paramedic. They were keepin' it quiet until they knew she'd pass. Anyway, their sending her to me. But, that's not even all of it," Johnny said, leaning forward.

He lowered his voice. "One of the other cadets was thrown out of the program for trying to set an accident that coulda really hurt her. But, he swears he didn't cause her earlier injuries. Someone pushed her through a stair rail a couple weeks ago. She was badly bruised. He says he didn't do it, if that's true, then someone else was physically abusing her; and they can't rule out the guy they're sending to my station to be her partner."

"Are you kidding me?" Captain Stanley leaned back in his chair. He ran his finger across one eyebrow, and then his hand over his mouth.

Johnny just shook his head. "I don't know what to do, Cap. I'm not sure how I feel about having a woman under my command. And, how do I keep her safe, if I don't know who's hurting her? How do I tell the other guys their gonna be working with a woman? Not to mention the fact, that I kissed her. What…"

Captain Stanley cut Johnny off, "You kissed her? John, when, why…I don't understand, how could you kiss her?"

"I didn't know she was cadet when I kissed her. It was a complete fluke. I met her at the beach a couple of weeks ago. We had a nice day together and I kissed her goodnight. When I saw her file yesterday and realized it was the same women, man, I nearly had a heart attack. Part of me was hoping the Chief wouldn't let me work with her. But, it didn't seem to change his mind," Johnny shook his head.

"John," Captain Stanley paused. "Johnny, look, you're gonna have to be really careful. Being a Captain, you develop a sense of responsibility for the men, uh, people, under you. You naturally start caring about them, you feel the weight of their safety on your shoulders. They become like family to you. If you had a romantic connection with this woman, you're gonna have to be really careful," Captain Stanley shook his head. He wasn't sure how Johnny would navigate this situation.

"It was just one kiss, Cap. I'm sure I can keep the relationship professional," Johnny said.

"Johnny, any Captain gets personally invested in his men. It's gonna be really difficult for any man to navigate the feelings that come from the responsibility of holding a woman's life and safety in his hands. When that's a single man and a single woman, it gets even more complicated. When you add in a previous romantic encounter…," Captain Stanley shook his head. "I'm not sure it can be done, especially by you."

"Whatdya mean, especially by me," Johnny said insulted.

"Johnny, you're emotionally invested in people, it's gonna be difficult for you to keep an emotional distance from your men. I think it's gonna be very difficult for you to keep that distance from a woman you've kissed. I really don't know if this assignment is such a good idea. Maybe you should tell Chief McConnike that you don't think it's a good idea for you to work together."

"Cap, I can do this," Johnny assured him. "I'm a new Captain, I don't wanna be trouble by refusing a person into my station. Besides, it was just one kiss. Chief McConnike said he chose my station because the only two single men are me and the other new paramedic. He pointed out I have a lot of women I can date, so I don't need to date her; and he's right. I've dated a lot of women."

Captain Stanley looked at Johnny closely as he spoke. "How are things going the last few weeks, Johnny?" Captain Stanley asked. Something about Johnny seemed a bit sad, he'd always been pretty easy to read, and something just wasn't right about his former paramedic. He knew the assignment of a woman to his station, and the fact that her partner could be assaulting her were weighing heavy on his mind, but something else was definitely going on.

"Fine, everything's just fine," Johnny said, but didn't elaborate.

"How's Roy doin' with his paramedics? I've heard they might cause him some challenges."

"I haven't talked to him since graduation," Johnny admitted quietly. "I saw him at a fire yesterday though, and those paramedics of his, and you're right he's gonna have his hands full."

"You guys haven't seen each other?" Captain Stanley was surprised by that news.

"Roy's busy, he's got his family. Trying to settle into a new job, at a new station, and deal with personnel issues," Johnny said, but he was looking down at his coffee cup, avoiding Captain Stanley's gaze.

"Johnny, have you heard about the bar-b-que yet?"

"What bar-b-que?"

"Marco's decided to host a bar-b-que at his house next weekend. For all of us to get together. Roy's gonna bring Joanne, Beth's gonna come. We thought it would be nice to make sure we kept in touch," Captain Stanley explained.

"Hey, that's great. I can't wait," Johnny said, his eyes lighting up.

"John, be really careful with this new boot. Especially if you think her partner may actually try to hurt her. You're gonna feel overly protective of her. It's gonna be tough," Captain Stanley cautioned again.

"Cap, I know how to not get personally involved, it's paramedic rule number 1."

"And how well did you follow that rule, John? I'm pretty sure I remember you and Roy breaking that rule more than once. I know how I feel about all of you, how much I care about you," Captain Stanley paused, trying to best figure out how to explain to Johnny his concerns. "Did I ever tell you how I met Beth?"

"No."

"She was working at a corner store. I was in there one day, buying something, I don't even remember; and some guy was hassling her. I walked up and told him to back off. Turned out he'd been hassling her for a couple of weeks. I made sure to be at the store every day for the next several weeks before she got off and I'd make sure she got home okay. One day, the guy got touchy feely with her and I decked him. When I walked her home that day, she brought me inside to ice my hand. She kissed me on the cheek, to thank me. That was it, I gave her a real kiss back, we got married a year later," Captain Stanley said, thinking back to that day, a smile playing on his lips.

"You weren't her boss, Cap. But, I get the point of your story. I'll be careful," Johnny said.

The men caught up over breakfast and Johnny felt much better when he left the restaurant. He wanted to go check on Roy, but he had a stop he needed to make first. He knew the fire academy graduation ceremony had been early that morning. Katrina would probably be done with the ceremony. He was willing to bet money she'd go to the cove.

Johnny double checked to make sure he had a rope in the back of the Ranger and headed toward his parking spot.

E

Katrina sat on the rock as she watched Johnny repel down to the beach cove. She knew he'd come. She had headed there right after the graduation ceremony, a bit surprised she beat him. She watched as he landed on the sand. She shook her head to clear her thoughts when she realized she was appreciating how graceful he looked coming down the rope.

"Captain John Gage," Katrina said, looking at the man, who would now be her boss.

"Kat," Johnny said quietly. "For this place, this time, I need us to just be Johnny and Kat for a minute."

Katrina hesitated. "I've worked too hard to get here to screw it up over a kiss," Katrina said, her voice firm.

"I don't mean like that," Johnny rolled his eyes. "I'm not about to risk my job for a kiss either. I need to talk to you, and I need you to be comfortable enough to just talk to me. Not worried about how you're comin' off to your new Captain. Here, we're just Johnny and Kat; talking, honestly, with each other."

Johnny sat down in the sand and leaned against a rock, facing her.

Katrina slid off her rock and sat down in the sand, directly across from Johnny.

"Okay, Johnny. What do we need to talk about?"

"Well, the first thing we need to talk about is that kiss you just mentioned. I really thought when Chief McConnike found out we had shared a kiss he would forbid you from working with me. I'm assuming you told him the same thing I did, that we can have a strictly professional relationship. But, I wanted to ask you myself. You're not gonna assume every time I send you on a rescue, or don't send you on a rescue, that it's because we shared a kiss?"

"If you don't send me on a rescue, I'm gonna assume it's because I'm a woman and you don't think I can do the job," Katrina said, sitting down across from him.

"What?"

"Just being honest. I know a woman in the fire department is new to all the guys, but it's new to me too; and so far I've not had the best experiences. Chief McConnike grilled me about this on Thursday. If we'd been dating, he couldn't have assigned me to your station. But, given it was a one-time meeting, it's a gray area. He'd told me that you're the best person to train a new paramedic and he really wants to help me be successful. Above all else, that's what I want; to do a good job."

"Thursday, he didn't talk to you today?"

"No, yesterday morning," Katrina clarified.

Johnny shook his head. "He talked to me yesterday afternoon and acted like he hadn't talked to you yet."

"Making sure our stories matched," Katrina guessed. "I can forget about the kiss, if you can. But, I need you to treat me like you do all the other guys. How do you feel about a woman fire fighter and paramedic?" Kat asked, tilting her head when she looked at him, trying to read his expression.

"I'll make sure you get the same opportunities as any of the other men," Johnny said carefully.

"That's a Captain Gage answer," Katrina smiled.

Johnny thought for a few seconds. It probably wasn't wise to answer honestly, but Kat was sitting there, looking at him with those blue eyes, a smile on her lips. She already knew he was struggling with it. He wanted to be honest with her.

"I don't know. I feel like my head is spinning. Firefighting is a hard, physically demanding job. I've never really thought too much about a woman actually being able to do the job. But, you passed the academy, and very well, I might add, 3rd in the class. I guess, I'll have to just wait and see. But, I've been warned it's not gonna be easy. I've been warned that the emotions that form between a Captain and crew, might prove difficult between a single man and a single woman. Complicated further by the fact I've kissed you once," Johnny looked at her.

"I can't afford to be difficult, Johnny. I can't afford to let Chief McConnike think I can't control my emotions. I couldn't refuse placement with you because of our kiss. I need to prove that I can be a professional."

"As a new Captain, I certainly understand that," Johnny agreed.

"I'm glad," Kat looked at him and smiled. A little part of her sad that this would be the last time they met like this.

"Can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure."

"Kory Marks has been assigned as your partner. Was he one of the people hurting you?" Johnny asked, his eyes searching Katrina's.

She shook her head. "No. No, that's not a Johnny question. That's a Captain Gage question."

"Kat, I can't keep you safe, if I don't know who to protect you from," Johnny said, his voice rising slightly.

"It's not your job to keep me safe," Katrina said. "I don't need you to keep me safe. I'm a big girl, completely capable of taking care of myself." Katrina got to her feet, anger washing over her.

Johnny jumped to his feet and grabbed her arm. He pulled up her shirt revealing the large yellow bruise on her side. "Really?"

Katrina yanked her arm away from him and stepped back. "Don't!"

"Was Kory hurting you?"

"You said, we were Johnny and Kat here. That's not a Johnny question. You want to know how to view one of your new boots. I can't answer that for you. What if I tell you yes, and it wasn't him? I never saw the person; I just have suspicions. I could ruin a man's career, if I'm wrong. I won't guess. I won't do it," Katrina said.

"I just, I saw the pictures. My job as the Captain is to protect my crew."

"I want you to treat me just like you would any of the guys. Exactly how you would treat Kory," Kat said.

"Kory isn't covered in bruises," Johnny said. "You have to be able to count on your partner; I can't tell you how many times Roy pulled me out of some tough spots and vice versa. Can you count on Kory?"

"I guess we'll find out," Kat said.

Kat sat back down in the sand, Johnny joined her. "My dad's a Battalion Chief in Florida. Both my older brothers are already Captains. I was what they call a surprise baby. My brothers are quite a bit older than I am. I was just a kid when they were in the academy. I remember all of them telling these amazing stories of rescuing people. Being a fire fighter was all I ever wanted to do. But, of course, everyone told me I couldn't because I was a woman."

Katrina picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle through her fingers. "I decided being a nurse was the next best thing and started nursing school. But, then I heard about the paramedic program here in Los Angeles. It seemed like the two best jobs in the whole world had been combined into one. I wanted to be a paramedic so bad I couldn't stand it. I'd always worked out with my brothers, even on the fireman courses, so I knew I had the stamina, and even the strength to do the job. So I decided to come out and give it a shot."

"Your dad and brothers were okay with it?"

"None of them were thrilled. I really thought my mom would be supportive, she's super independent, but she wasn't. She took me out one day and told me she has to worry every day about her husband and her two sons; she had wanted one child she didn't have to worry about every time they went to work. She begged me to just stick with nursing. My dad told me if I wanted to make things hard on myself, this was the way to do it. He won't admit it, but he's really proud. He never discouraged me. Just told me if I was gonna do it, I'd better be the best. My brothers, they each took different approaches," Kat smiled, thinking about her brothers.

"How did they respond?" Johnny asked, leaning back against the rock.

"Al, that's my oldest brother, he totally flipped out. He said fire department leadership weren't gonna be able to accept a girl and that I'd never get to move up. He said the guys I worked with weren't gonna believe I could do the job and they were gonna protest working with me. He said I would face two reactions, those that hated me as some women's lib person trying to prove that women were better than men. He said others would treat me as a sexual object and I would constantly be subjected to crude remarks and maybe even…well, he got pretty graphic. He said he knew how the single guys in the department treated some girls," Katrina blushed thinking about the conversation with her older brother.

"And your younger brother?"

"Paul, he agreed I would face what Al said; but he was more focused on the fact that I was going to have to be twice as good as any guy, to get half the credit. Paul started working out with me, really pushing me to build my strength and stamina," Katrina explained. "That's why I did so well in the academy."

"Did you tell your brothers about the physical abuse?"

Kat looked at him for a few seconds. "I haven't told anyone. They'd be out here on the next flight; making sure every man around knew how protective they are of me. They're not small guys, both are just over 6 feet tall and 200 lbs, all muscle. They can be pretty intimidating."

"Maybe you should have them out to meet your new partner," Johnny suggested.

"I need to do this on my own. Can you understand that? This isn't just a whim for me, Johnny. I'm not trying to meet guys. I'm not trying to breakdown stereotypes, or prove women are as good as men. This is what I was meant to do, it's what I have to do to be happy. I get that it upsets some people, their entitled to their feelings. But, I know, I can prove to them that I can do this job, be an asset to the team. I just need a chance. I don't want to make this worse by whining about unfair treatment…, or even a few bruises. I just want to be given a chance to prove I can do this," Katrina's voice carried the passion she felt.

"Your commitment is admirable," Johnny said. "But, you're really not doing yourself any favors not reporting abuse, Kat. We're firemen, we're supposed to protect people. We're supposed to look out for each other too, not just the public. I don't care if they don't like you being here, they shouldn't hurt you."

Katrina just looked back at him, saying nothing.

Johnny stood up and offered her his hand. He pulled her to her feet. "Want me to help you get your board up topside, avoid paddling along the rocks? It's pretty rough out there today."

Kat looked up the side of the mountain. "No, thanks. I'll take my chances with the waves."

"You know, as a paramedic, there are lots of times you need to climb and repel," Johnny said, looking at her, as she looked back up the mountain.

"I admit, that's my weak area. We didn't have mountains in Florida. I've been trying to work on it, but I'm a bit afraid of heights. Kory's great at it though, he can handle the mountains and I'll handle the water," Kat flashed Johnny a smile.

"We'll have to work on that skill," Johnny smiled back at her.

"Whatever you say, Captain Gage."

Johnny reached out and touched her arm. He let his hand slide down her arm and briefly took her hand. "Good-bye, Kat."

Kat squeezed his hand. "Good-bye, Johnny."

E

Johnny sat in the Rover for a few minutes after he reached the parking lot. He let out a sigh. It really was too bad she was assigned to his station. Johnny ran a hand over his face. He needed to go check on Roy. He started his car and drove toward Roy's house, slowing down as he neared the subdivision. He still hadn't talked to Roy. He probably shouldn't just drop in.

Johnny pulled to the side of the road and put the car in park. He'd never thought twice about just dropping in before. Roy, Joanne, the kids, they were his family. Now, he already felt like a stranger. Guests should call first, they shouldn't just drop by.

Maybe he should go home? He could call and check on Roy, that'd be less of an interruption. Johnny felt a wave of sadness flow over him. He felt like he'd lost his family. Johnny laid his head on the steering wheel. He hadn't expected becoming a Captain to wreak havoc on his personal life, but that's exactly what it was doing. He hadn't seen Roy, or any of the other guys from the Station since then. He hadn't met any new women, except Katrina, whom he couldn't date. He'd only been out on a date a couple of times over the last several weeks.

Johnny shook his head. He wasn't giving up that easily; he wasn't losing Roy without a fight. Johnny shifted the Rover in gear and drove to Roy's house. He pulled into the driveway and made his way up to the front door. His face grim. He wasn't sure what he expected, but he felt like he was walking into a building that was fully engulfed in flames and just waiting to devour him.

Normally, Johnny would've just knocked once, opened the door and announced his presence. He hesitated at the door, knocked and waited for someone to come let him in.

Joanne answered the door, her face inpassive as she opened the door. Then she broke into a huge smile. "What are you doing knocking on the door," she reached out and grabbed Johnny's arm, pulling him into the house. "I was expecting to see a vacuum salesman."

Joanne wrapped her arms around Johnny and gave him a tight hug. "I heard what you did for Roy yesterday. I'm so glad you were there."

Johnny smiled and felt himself relax a little. Letting himself hug Joanne back. "Glad I was there too."

"Can you stay for lunch? We've…"

"Uncle Johnny!" Chris came running into the living room. He wrapped his arms around Johnny's waist.

"Hey, Chris," Johnny said, patting the young boy on his head.

"We've missed you," Joanne finished her thought, moving Johnny toward the kitchen.

"Uncle Johnny!" Johnny turned just in time to see Jenny launch herself from halfway up the staircase.

"Woah," he caught her before she knocked him over. "Hey, Princess."

"I've missed you!" Jenny said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I've missed you, too."

Roy was standing at the patio door when Johnny entered the kitchen. The two men looked at each other, neither saying anything for a long minute.

"Hi, Johnny," Roy said finally.

"How you feeling?" Johnny asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"Good, shoulder's a little stiff," Roy said, rotating his shoulder slightly.

Joanne looked between the two men. "Hey, kids. Whatdya say Mom takes you to McDonald's for lunch?"

"Yea!" The kids yelled in unison.

"Joanne, I've got burgers on the grill," Roy said.

"You and Johnny can eat them," Joanne smiled and dropped a kiss on Roy's cheek.

"C'mon kids," Joanne grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter and headed out to the car, the kids running ahead of her.

Johnny looked over at Roy. "Subtle," he said.

Roy laughed. "Completely. I've got to keep an eye on the burgers," Roy said, moving out toward the deck.

Johnny followed behind him. Roy went over and lifted the lid off the grill, beginning to flip the patties. Johnny leaned against the railing watching him.

"How's the new station?" Johnny asked. "I got the feeling your paramedics aren't quite top-notch at yesterday's fire."

"That's an understatement," Roy snorted, and rolled his shoulder again.

"Joanne mentioned something to me on the phone, one time when I called. I had some thoughts, but you never called back," Johnny said, letting some of his hurt and disappointment come through in his voice.

"She told me. I'm sorry, Johnny. I just, I wanted to talk to some Captains that had more experience at this kinda stuff, you know," Roy said.

"I may be a new Captain, Roy; but we've both trained new paramedics. We know what it takes to be a good paramedic, and how to help get them there. I have valuable ideas," Johnny placed his hand on his chest, indignation in his voice.

"This is more than just training new paramedics. There are human resources rules I have to follow. I'm not a paramedic trainer, I'm the Captain," Roy argued.

"I know that, Roy. Believe me, I know that. I've got my own issues going on, you know."

"I'm sorry, Johnny. I've tried to call to see how your new station is. Every time, the phone just rang. I've assumed you're out on dates. I would imagine you've got all kinds of women wanting to see if they can get you to settle down, now that you're a Captain," Roy teased.

Johnny scratched his head. "Well, no, no, not really."

Roy looked over at him.

"What advice did you get about your paramedics?" Johnny asked, changing the subject back to Roy's issue.

Roy looked at him for a minute. Usually Johnny was pretty focused on his problems, but it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about himself today. Roy's eyes narrowed slightly, whatever it was must be pretty big. He noticed Johnny wasn't making eye contact. He wasn't sure if that was because of whatever issue he was dealing with at his station, or if it was due to the tension he could still feel between them.

"I've got a training plan worked out for them; both as individuals and in team performance. I'd outlined it with them before we went on that warehouse fire yesterday. I've also got them reviewing their training manuals again, their missing basic procedures. That conversation was a written record in their files," Roy shook his head. "They really hate each other, Johnny. It's a good thing the rest of my crew is top-notch."

"Worse than Brice and Bellingham, huh?"

Roy laughed. "I don't know how those two worked it out, but they actually worked really well together."

"Not as good as us though," Johnny said quietly.

"No, not as good as us," Roy smiled.

"I'm really sorry, Johnny. I really have tried to call a few times," Roy said, looking at his friend.

"Me too. Look, it was bound to be a bit different. I mean, we used to see each other 48 – 72 hours every week. Now, we have to make time outside of work. It's tough with other obligations, I mean, you havin' a family and all."

"Johnny, what's wrong? I can see it, written all over your face. It's more than just some girl breaking up with you, isn't it?"

Johnny let out a long breath. "My first day at Station 36, I found out one of my paramedics was being promoted to engineer. Yesterday, Chief McConnike showed up and told me they're transferring my other paramedic to Station 51, and giving me two new boots," Johnny said, looking at Roy.

"As you just said, we've trained paramedics before. You'll do great."

"One of the new boots is a woman," Johnny said, looking down at the deck.

"You're getting Katrina?" Roy asked, shocked.

"You know her?" Johnny asked, surprised by the piece of news.

"My first day as Captain, we responded to a situation at the academy. It was Katrina, she'd fallen from a staircase." Roy said.

"She didn't fall from a staircase, she was hit in the ribs and then kicked in the hip, to push her through the stair rail," Johnny said.

"What?" Roy was stunned by this piece of news.

"I was originally supposed to get this cadet, Tom, something or other. Then, he got booted from the academy because he tried to rig an accident that coulda seriously injured Kat. The Chief told me, a couple of weeks ago, someone shoved her through a stair rail. Roy, those pictures were so bad; how could your paramedics have missed the possibility of abuse?"

"I thought their medical skills were sufficient, but if they missed abuse, maybe they aren't." Roy ran a hand through his hair.

"This Tom guy, swears he didn't do it. Which means there may be some other guy coming out of the academy that was abusing her. And they can't rule out her new partner, my other new paramedic."

"Are you kidding me?"

"And you thought you were having all the fun," Johnny attempted a smile.

Roy shook his head. "Boy, what did we get ourselves into?"

Roy removed the burgers from the grill and he and Johnny went into the house to get the necessary buns and condiments. Johnny snagged a bag of chips off the counter and Roy grabbed a couple of sodas.

The guys sat at the patio table fixing their burgers, silently handing condiments back and forth. Johnny opened the bag of chips and dumped some on his plate and then Roy's.

Roy looked over at him as he handed him the ketchup. Johnny smiled. They'd fallen back into an old routine, moving throughout the task of getting lunch together, just knowing what the other person wanted and needed.

"I met Katrina, at a private beach cove, the day of our promotion to Captain. We spent the day together," Johnny confessed to Roy.

"Uh-oh," Roy said, getting an idea of where this was going.

"I kissed her goodnight. I really kinda liked her Roy. She's really pretty and interesting. Blonde hair, blue eyes, amazing body; well, you saw her," Johnny turned and looked across the backyard. "And before you ask, yes, I told Chief McConnike that I met her before, and that I kissed her. He asked if we could work together professionally. I said yes."

"Do you really think you can? She was very pretty."

"Yes, but I kinda wish I didn't have to," Johnny said, his voice forlorn.

"Why didn't you just tell the Chief you'd rather not have her working for you?"

"I'm a new Captain, I don't want to cause problems. Kat's worried about that same thing. She didn't want to refuse the assignment and be thought of as difficult, or unprofessional."

"When did you talk to her again?" Roy asked.

"After I met with Captain Stanley this morning I went back to the beach cove. I knew she'd be there. Graduation was this morning and the Chief was going to tell her about the assignment. I wanted the chance to talk to her, before I officially became her Captain."

"Do you think that was such a good idea, Johnny?"

Johnny shrugged. "I wanted to see if she'd tell me who was hurting her."

"Did she?"

"She says she doesn't know, but I have my doubts," Johnny said, looking across the yard again. Then he looked down at the table and took a bite of his burger.

"I'm glad you came by," Roy said, taking a bite of his burger.

"So am I," Johnny said, his mouth full of food.

Roy laughed, same old Johnny. "So, whatya gonna do about this girl?"

Johnny shrugged, "I'll guess time'll tell."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Thank you to Beaglewhisperer27 for pointing out an error in my story. I have revamped Chapter 7 to fix the error._

E

Chief McConnike arrived at Station 36 early, with Katrina. "Captain Gage," he said, coming into the Captain's office. A shift was still out on a run and none of the B-shift men had arrived yet.

Johnny stood up as the two walked into the office. "Chief McConnike, Miss Conrad," Johnny said.

"How did you want to handle this John?" Chief McConnike asked.

"I thought it'd be best if I met with the guys, introduced Kory Marks and then let the other guys know that Katrina was joining us. Give them a couple of minutes, before we introduce her," Johnny suggested.

"I think that's a good plan," Chief McConnike agreed.

Katrina stood there quietly, not saying a word. She hated not being part of a decision that was all about her, but she knew she needed to let Chief McConnike and Captain Gage make this decision.

"We can wait in here while you gather your men," Chief McConnike said. "If A shift gets back, I'll make the station unavailable, while you talk to your men."

Johnny nodded and left the office. He figured he'd gather the men in the kitchen, as they came in to get ready for their shift.

Ken, his engineer, was the first one in. Johnny let him move to the locker room to change for his shift. Kory Marks came in just a few minutes later.

"Kory, I'm Captain John Gage," John said, standing up to greet his other new paramedic.

"Captain Gage," Kory looked around. "Is Katrina here yet?"

"She's in my office with Chief McConnike. The rest of the crew doesn't know we're getting a woman on the shift yet. I'm gonna let everyone get ready and then speak to them as a group, before I bring Katrina out. Do me a favor and don't say anything to anyone, until I talk to them."

Kory shrugged. "The men have every right to be upset. They shouldn't be letting women join the fire department. There's no way she can do this job."

"She came in third in her class," Johnny said. "And my understanding is they didn't make any concessions for her being a woman."

"Being in controlled classroom situations is a lot different than doing the real job. The Fire Department is making a huge mistake," Kory said.

Ken walked into the kitchen. "Ken, can you show Kory to the locker room and get him set up with a locker," Johnny said, watching the men walk out of the room. Kory certainly wasn't thrilled about Katrina being here. But, was he upset enough to actually hurt her?

Kevin and Scott walked in together. "Hey, guys, go get changed for shift and meet me in here."

Kevin and Scott exchanged looks. "Sure, Cap."

A few minutes later, the four men of Station 36s B-shift were gathered in the kitchen with Johnny.

"First, I want to take a minute to introduce you all to one of our new paramedics. Kory Marks. Kory just completed the Academy and did combined training to get his paramedic certification. Kory, welcome to Station 36, B-shift."

"Hey, Kory. I introduced myself to you earlier, but I'm Ken Standiford, I'm the engineer. I've been here at 36s for four years. I've been the engineer for the last year.

"I'm Kevin Platt, I'm the junior linesman. I've been here at 36 for two years, since graduating from the academy. I just got engaged."

"I'm Scott Taylor, I'm the senior linesman. I've been here at 36 for three years, and was over at 60s for a year before that."

"Nice to meet all of you," Kory said. He looked over at Captain Gage, the other guys all looked at him too.

"Don't we have a second new paramedic?" Ken asked.

"Yes, we have a second paramedic joining us today. I wanted to talk to all of you for a minute," Johnny hesitated for just a few seconds. "The second paramedic scored really well, coming in 3rd in the class."

"So what's the problem?" Kevin asked.

Johnny took a deep breath. "Our other new paramedic's name is Katrina Conrad. She comes from a long line of fire fighters…"

"We're getting a woman?" Scott said.

"How could they hire a woman? How come none of us knew about this? We would've heard if a woman got into the academy," Kevin said.

"They ordered us to keep it quiet," Kory said.

"Whatdya think about her?" Ken asked Kory.

"I think it's a huge mistake. She's one of those women's lib, women can do anything men can do and usually better, type broads. She was always trying to one up all the guys in the academy and when she got a couple bruises, cried to leadership that the guys were physically abusing her," Kory complained.

"That's not exactly how I heard it," Johnny said.

"How can they send us a woman to be a rescue man? There's no way she's gonna be able to keep us safe, if something goes wrong," Scott said.

"She went through the same training that Kory did. She passed all of the physical exams with flying colors. She's well prepared to do this job," Johnny argued.

"She's gonna be sleeping with us? Showering with us? How's that supposed to work?" Ken asked.

"We'll have to be respectful with scheduling showers and changing in the locker room. If you aren't comfortable sleeping in your boxers and t-shirt with a woman in the room, you can wear shorts. I'm sure she'll choose a modest sleeping outfit. Look, why don't we line up for roll call and you can all meet her. She's in my office with Chief McConnike," Johnny suggested.

The men all silently moved to stand in front of the engine. Johnny headed toward his office.

"Do you want to introduce her Chief?" Johnny asked as he walked into the office.

"No, I think you should do it, John."

Johnny led the group out of the office, Katrina behind him and Chief McConnike bringing up the rear.

"Gentleman, I'd like you to meet Katrina Conrad, our other new fireman/paramedic," Johnny said to the group.

The men eyed the thin, blonde woman, standing beside Johnny.

"Chief McConnike," Scott said.

"Yes."

"I'd like to put in my official request for a transfer," Scott said.

"I'd like to put in my request as well," Kevin added.

"Katrina, go get in line for roll call," Johnny said.

Katrina moved to stand at the end of the line, next to Kory, who moved a step away from her. Katrina continued to look forward, her face impassive.

"The Los Angeles County Fire Department is an equal opportunity employer gentleman. We don't discriminate on the basis of religion, race, or sex. I won't accept any transfer requests, but I will accept letters of resignation," Chief McConnike said coolly.

The men said nothing.

"Captain Gage, walk me out, and then you can get back to roll call," the Chief said, moving toward the exit. "You've got your work cut out for you, John. Keep in touch with me throughout this process."

"Yes, Chief."

Johnny ran his hand through his hair and walked back over to the men. He took his position in front of the crew. "Kory and Katrina, on the bulletin board in the kitchen we have a list of chore assignments for the next several shifts. I have the updated schedule in my office, I'll post it right after roll call. Today, we're gonna hang a lot of hose, and I'd like to make a list of a few repairs the station needs. Maybe we can get a bit of money for supplies, if we do the work. Spruce this place up a bit. We'll also update the cooking schedule."

"I think Katrina should have to do all the cooking," Scott said. "After all, that's one thing she may actually be good at."

Katrina continued to look forward, saying nothing.

"Enough," Johnny said. "Let's get started working on our chores. We'll start hanging hose, once all of the chores are done."

Katrina turned toward Kory. "Do you want to do the biophone check, or inventory the supplies?"

"I'll do the biophone check," he said.

Katrina moved to the squad and pulled out the drug box, quickly checking the supplies. Kory pulled out the biophone and contacted Rampart. Johnny watched them both work for a few minutes, after he'd hung up the new chore chart. He had assigned Katrina to the latrines, thinking that getting out of the nasty duty may somehow build good feelings from the other guys toward her. He knew it was probably stupid, but he wanted to do anything he could to help her build good rapport with the other men.

Katrina put the drug box away and moved over near Kory. "We need a few supplies, but nothing that can't wait until our next run to Rampart."

Kory glanced briefly at the list. "Ok."

Katrina moved into the kitchen and looked at the chore list. She sighed, bathrooms. Great, she'd grown up with two brothers, cleaning bathrooms after guys was the worst. Katrina looked around, wondering where the cleaning closet was located.

"Scott, where are the cleaning supplies located?" Katrina asked.

Scott looked her up and down and walked away. Katrina looked over at Kevin, who was cleaning the kitchen counter. He just ignored her. Katrina forced herself not to sigh out loud.

"Why don't I give you and Kory a quick tour of the station," Ken said.

Katrina offered him a smile. "Thanks, that would be helpful."

Ken walked into the apparatus bay, where Kory and Scott were talking in hushed tones. "Kory, I thought I'd give you and Katrina a quick tour of the station," Ken said.

Kory shrugged, but moved over near Ken.

Ken showed them both the dorm, the locker room, the weight room. He showed them where they stored the cleaning supplies, where they kept extra turnouts and helmets. "You can store your uniform hats in this closet," Ken said, pointing to a shelf just above the extra helmets.

"You've seen the kitchen, whomever takes the last cup of coffee, makes the next pot. As Captain Gage said, we share cooking responsibilities. Captain Gage actually takes turns cooking. He hasn't cooked yet, but the engineer at his former station tells me he's pretty limited to hot dogs and burgers," Ken joked.

Katrina smiled, and gave a short laugh. Kory gave her a look of annoyance. "I suppose you're a great cook, on top of everything else," he said sarcastically.

"Well, that's the one thing women are good for right?" Katrina retorted, but then mentally kicked herself. That was not the way to get people to accept her.

"I'll let you both get back to your chores," Ken said. He moved toward the cleaning closet to get out the mop. His chore was moping the apparatus bay. Katrina followed him and got the cleaning supplies out to clean the bathroom.

She was almost done cleaning, when Kevin walked in to use the bathroom. Katrina quickly stepped out, waiting to finish cleaning. Several minutes later, Kevin walked out. "Have fun," he said, as he walked by.

Katrina walked in and fought back a gag. He'd intentionally made a horrific mess in one of the stalls. Katrina moved to the sink to give her stomach a minute to settle, before she attempted to clean up the mess.

Johnny walked in. "Sorry, I just need a minute," he said.

Katrina looked at him. "You may want to give me just a minute first."

"Why?" Johnny asked, but then he crinkled his nose, the smell reaching him. Johnny pushed open the stall door. "What the…"

"I'll take care of it," Katrina said.

"No way! Who did this? They'll take care of it," Johnny started to move toward the door.

"Captain Gage, don't. Please, just let it be. I'll clean it up; just give me a minute and you can come back in."

"No, I'm not going to tolerate this," Johnny said.

"You're not gonna change how they feel. They just need time to realize I'm not a threat to them and that I can be useful," Katrina pleaded with him.

"You shouldn't have to put up with," a look of disgust crossed Johnny's face, "that."

"I've dealt with worse," Katrina said, meeting his eyes. "Just give me a minute, Captain, please."

"No, if I don't nip this in the bud now, it'll just continue, or get worse," Johnny said.

"It'll continue or get worse anyway. When the first incident happened at the academy, the leadership stepped in. Had a big discussion with all the guys on how that behavior wouldn't be tolerated. It just made things worse. Please, Captain Gage, just let this go; I've been down this road before," Katrina pleaded.

Johnny hesitated, but pushed open the door to walk out. True to her word, Katrina walked out a few minutes later and started putting away the cleaning supplies. "Restrooms clean," she said quietly as she walked past him.

Katrina moved into the kitchen and went to pour herself a cup of coffee. Kevin and Scott snickered when she walked in. She tipped the pot over, and only a few drops of coffee came out. Katrina opened a few cupboards and found what she needed to make a new pot of coffee. She added a dash of cinnamon to the grounds.

"What are you doing? We don't want no girlie coffee here," Scott growled.

"It helps cut down the acidic taste of the coffee, but you won't even taste the cinnamon," Katrina said.

"We don't want any girlie coffee!" Scott raised his voice and got up from the table stalking toward her. Katrina involuntarily stepped back as he approached her.

"What's goin' on?" Johnny asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"She's screwin' around with the coffee," Scott said, looking from Katrina to Captain Gage.

"Whatdya mean, screwin' around with the coffee?"

"She's putting some girlie spice in it," Scott said, his tone accusing.

Johnny looked at Katrina. "I added a dash of cinnamon to the grounds. It helps with the acidity of the coffee; but you can't taste it in the coffee. It's just a habit, I didn't mean anything by it. They liked it at the academy, didn't they Kory?" Katrina said, looking to Kory.

Kory shrugged. "I didn't notice anything."

"Let's let the pot finish percolating and we can all judge what we think," Johnny said.

Scott stomped back to the table, sitting down with a huff. Katrina stayed in the corner by the counter and the refrigerator, her eyes on the floor. Johnny had to fight the urge to walk over and give her a hug. When the coffee was done, Katrina reached for a mug and poured a cup of coffee. She handed it to Johnny. He took a sip, while she pulled down another mug and poured herself a cup.

"This is good coffee," Johnny said. "It's really good. Anyone else want some?"

"I'll take a refill," Ken said.

Katrina picked up the coffee pot and walked over to the table, she filled Ken's mug. Kory pushed his mug forward, but said nothing. Katrina filled his mug. She looked toward Scott and Kevin. Scott turned his cup upside down, Kevin following suit.

Katrina walked back toward the stove. Johnny narrowed his eyes, wondering what he should say. He was spared from making a decision by the sounds of the klaxons sounding.

"Station 101, Engine 22, Station 36, apartment fire at 987 Ridge River Road, cross street Hayward."

Kory moved to the driver's seat. Katrina checked the map with Ken and got into the passenger seat. Kory handed her the slip with the address. Katrina slipped on her helmet and began watching for traffic as Kory pulled out heading toward the scene.

E

Roy was first on scene, with Johnny arriving shortly behind him. Johnny jumped down out of the engine and moved over to Engine 101. "Where do you want us, Captain DeSoto?" Johnny asked with his trademark crooked smile.

"We need to search for victims. Send your paramedics, with my paramedics; let's have them working in tandem."

"Kory, Katrina!" Johnny called out to his two paramedics.

"Have your linesmen run a 2 ½ around the south side of the building. See if they can use that staircase to get entrance into the second floor. I'll have Jeff and Chuck take a 2 ½ through the front doors," Roy said, continuing to survey the scene. He raised the H-T to his mouth as Engine 22 pulled onto the street. "Engine 22, pull around to the back of the building and try to make sure there's an exit for any victims."

Katrina and Kory moved over near Captain Gage, they had their turnouts on, their air tanks on their backs, air masks in their hands and helmets hanging off the back of their neck. Josh and Pat looked up from slipping on their air tanks.

"It's you, the girl from the academy accident," Pat said, looking at Katrina.

"I can't believe they let you graduate after falling off a staircase. How incompetent can you be?" Josh asked, looking at Katrina.

"She didn't fall, she was hit and kicked," Roy said.

"What?" Both Josh and Pat said, looking over at Captain DeSoto.

"It isn't important," Katrina interrupted. "Where do you need us?"

Roy looked over at Katrina, her expression was completely neutral, her focus on Roy.

"I need the four of you to get into the building and search for victims. Clear all the floors, work together," Roy ordered.

Josh looked briefly at Katrina and then over at Captain DeSoto. He slipped his face mask on and started to move toward the building. Kory and Katrina followed suit, with Pat bringing up the rear.

"How do you want to do this?" Katrina asked, as they entered the building.

"You and Pat take the 1st and 2nd floors, we'll take the 3rd and 4th floors," Josh said, motioning to Kory.

"Okay," Katrina said. She looked over at Pat. "You take the left side of the hall; I'll take the right. If you find a victim, call out. The other person comes to the one with the victim."

Josh and Kory quickly moved up the staircase to get to the 3rd floor. "You take the left, I'll take the right," Kory clarified.

"Okay, if we find a victim?" Josh asked.

"Call out so I know you're leaving the floor and just get them out," Kory said.

"Agreed."

Katrina had just cleared the third apartment when she heard Patrick call out for help. She quickly moved to the 2nd apartment on the left side of the hall. A large man was laying on the floor, it appeared he had tripped trying to get out of the apartment. Pat was kneeling down next to him. "I think he broke his ankle."

Katrina took in the large man, he was probably close to 300 lbs. "Can you get him out on your own?"

"I doubt it," Pat said.

"Okay, you grab him under his arms, I'll take his legs," Katrina said. She supported the man's ankle on her forearm, and helped lift the man. Together they quickly moved out of the apartment building. Johnny joined them as they neared the squad.

"Probable broken ankle, some smoke inhalation," Katrina said. "We haven't cleared the building yet."

"Go back in," Johnny said. "I can start oxygen."

Johnny pulled the oxygen from the squad, smiling at the familiar feeling. He watched as Pat and Katrina moved back into the apartment complex.

"We've got to hurry, teams. Clear those apartments, quickly and get outta the building," Roy said into the H-T, watching as flames started breaking through the roof.

Josh and Kory quickly cleared the third floor and moved their way up to the fourth. Katrina and Pat finished clearing the first floor and moved to the second.

Pieces of ceiling began to fall down on to the staircase as Katrina and Pat moved up to the second floor. Katrina lifted the H-T, "The staircase is no longer passable. We're gonna need ladders to get out. Kory, where are you? Let them know where to put the ladder."

"We've got a family of four up here. We're gonna need a ladder to the 2nd window from the north end of the building, fourth floor," Kory said.

"Copy that," Roy responded. "Engine 24, get a ladder over the fourth floor, 2nd window from the north. Pat, where do you and Katrina need to be extracted from?"

"We're finishing clearing the 2nd floor. They can meet us at the last apartment from the south end. We need about 5 more minutes," Pat said.

"Make it faster than that, Pat. This roofs not gonna hold," Roy said.

Engine 24 got the ladder up to the fourth floor. One of the lines men climbed up and Kory helped hand off the young girl. Another one ascended as quickly as possible to take the second child. Kory climbed out on the ladder and Josh helped get the woman out the window and over Kory's shoulder. He quickly made his way down the ladder so another fireman could get up to take the father out.

Pat and Katrina did not find any more victims. They moved to the opened window of the last apartment to exit on the ladder. Katrina went down first, Pat following not far behind her.

Katrina hurried over to the triage area Johnny had set up. She watched a fireman carrying over a little girl and looked over to the other ladder to see another fireman taking another child out of the building.

Katrina knelt down by the littler girl, starting to take her vitals. She reached over and got oxygen on the little girl. "Captain Gage, do we have ambulances on the way?"

"They should be here any minute," Johnny answered. The man with the broken ankle was doing well. Johnny stood up and got the biophone out, quickly hooking it up. Pat had joined them and was taking the vitals on the young boy.

Katrina got up to help Kory lay the woman down. Kory started taking her vitals and Katrina grabbed the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 36, how do you read?"

"Go ahead 36," Dr. Brackett's voice came over the biophone.

"Rampart, we are at an apartment fire. We have 5 total victims. Victim number one is a male, about 35. Victim has mild smoke inhalation; we have him on 6 liters of oxygen. It appears he may have broken ankle. Victim number 2 is a girl, approximate age is 5 years old. Her vitals are BP is 100/60, pulse 58, respirations are 18. She is unconscious, we also have her on O2. Victim number 3 is a boy, approximate age 8. His vitals are…," Katrina paused and looked at Pat.

"Pulse is 62, respirations are 22, BP is 110/70," Kory said.

Katrina relayed the information to Rampart. Josh joined them a few seconds later, and started working on the man. "Victim number 4 is a woman, approximately 30. She is also unconscious, we are getting her on oxygen now, standby for vitals," Katrina said, as Kory finished checking the mother.

"Go ahead and transport victim number 1. Start IVs with normal saline on victim 2 and 3 TKO. Standing by for vitals on victim 4 and 5.

The four paramedics worked together quickly stabilizing the five patients. They put the man with the broken ankle in an ambulance on his own and then quickly loaded the mother and daughter in one ambulance with Katrina and the father and son in the second ambulance with Pat.

Kory and Josh moved to start cleaning the triage area. "Was Captain DeSoto right, did someone push her through a stair rail?" Josh quietly asked Kory.

"A lot of guys weren't happy getting a woman in the fire department. Maybe someone tried to stop her from graduating. I never saw anything," Kory said, but he wouldn't meet Josh's gaze. "Leadership knew everyone was gonna be upset; that's why they ordered us to keep it quiet."

"I'd bet words gonna spread pretty quick now," Josh looked around, seeing several men watching the ambulance leaving that carried Katrina. "How are the men in the station taking it?" Josh asked.

"About how you'd expect, they're mad, and rightfully so," Kory said.

"Shoot, I'd take her over Pat any day. At least she's got a reason for being incompetent, you can only expect so much from a girl. Our first rescue, a floor cracked and I fell partially through. Pat had to run and get help, he wasn't strong enough to pull me up. I could have died; because he was weak," Josh said.

"Doesn't matter, she's still gonna get one of us killed," Kory said.

"Yeah, but at least you could have some fun with her. I'd take her out to a bar, have a few drinks, take her back to my place, and give her a new training drill on how fast she can get out of her…,"

"Josh, I seriously doubt Captain Gage would appreciate you talking about a member of his team that way. She's a LA County Fire Fighter/Paramedic and you will treat her with the appropriate amount of respect," Roy said, walking up to the two men.

"Yes, Captain DeSoto," Josh said, bending over to finish picking up their supplies.

Roy walked over to Johnny. "Guess the cat's gonna be out of the bag now."

Johnny looked around at the firemen that were now looking in his direction. "Guess so. I'm really looking forward to the bar-b-que; I need some fun."

"Me too. If we both survive until next weekend, that is," Roy said. Johnny gave Roy a smile and dropped a hand on his shoulder, as he moved toward the engine, making them ready.


	8. Chapter 8

Marco smiled as he saw Captain Stanley pull into his driveway. He wasn't surprised the Captain was the first to arrive. He knew he was anxious for this gathering. Marco didn't know all the details, but he knew Captain Stanley had met with Johnny recently and that whatever they had talked about had Captain Stanley concerned about his former paramedic and even more convinced he needed to be around friends.

Captain Stanley and Beth made their way up the walk. Marco opened the door. "I brought potato salad, as promised," Beth said, with a smile.

Marco gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then took the large bowl of potato salad from Captain Stanley. "I'll take this out back, make yourselves at home."

"I like what you've done with the living room, Marco. The fireplace is amazing," Captain Stanley called out, as Marco moved out to the backyard to put down the potato salad.

"Thanks, Cap. I just finished it last month. The mantel took a really long time, but I love the cherry wood with the scroll work," Marco called out from the deck. He had two long tables on the deck filled with food. Several picnic tables and random chairs were set up in the yard, with coolers interspersed among the seating areas. Marco had a large fire going, to help with the slight chill that hung in the air.

"You did that all by yourself, Marco?" Beth asked, examining the woodwork closer.

"Yeah, it took me almost four months," Marco said.

"It's remarkable," Beth said, letting her finger trace the intricate detail. Beth looked at the large picture window, as another car pulled into the driveway. "Roy and Joanne are here."

"Roy, Joanne, welcome," Marco said, opening the door.

"Hey, Marco," Roy said, handing him Joanne's baked beans and the deviled eggs.

"Jo, I love the way you make these baked beans. They smell fantastic," Marco said. He moved to put the baked beans and deviled eggs outside with the other food.

"Captain DeSoto, how ya doing?" Captain Stanley, reached out his hand.

Roy shook his hand, with a big smile. "Still getting used to the title, and missing my days as a paramedic, a lot."

"I've heard your paramedics are giving you a rough go of it," Captain Stanley commiserated.

"Ain't that the truth," Roy said, rolling his eyes.

"I thought I'd get more of him with the promotion, no real need to do overtime; but he's spending a ton of time working on performance plans for those two," Joanne said.

"Get used to it. Even when it's not performance plans, there's reports they need to be on top of, and working on annual evaluations, and just generally worrying about the well-being of the crew," Beth said.

"I'm sure it will seem more natural eventually," Joanne said.

The group watched Mike park his truck in the driveway behind Captain Stanley's vehicle.

"It will. And pretty soon, you grow to love the crew and you'll be worrying with him. I swear, I spent as much time worrying about Johnny and his girl issues as Hank did, probably more, truth be told," Beth said, smiling as she watched Johnny getting out of his Rover and waving to Chet, who was pulling up behind him.

"Don't we all," Joanne laughed.

Mike, Chet and Johnny walked in the door. "Hey, hey, hey," Johnny said.

"Johnny, it's good to see you," Beth walked over and planted a kiss on Johnny's cheek. "Chet," she leaned over and kissed him too. Mike, you got a kiss from me a couple of days ago," Beth teased.

"That doesn't mean I don't still want one," Mike smiled, as Beth leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, watch it Stoker," Captain Stanley warned, smiling at his Engineer.

"Good to see you Mrs. Cap," Chet joked.

"Hey, Marco, where do you want the beer?" Johnny asked.

"There are coolers set up outside, already filled with ice," Marco answered, heading into the kitchen to pull out so more food.

Johnny and Chet made their way outside to drop off drinks, chips and dip. The rest of the group moved outside to join them. Mike brought up the rear carrying buns for burgers and hot dogs.

"So, I got a call from Spaulding over at 22s. He said he responded to an apartment fire with 36, and you have a female paramedic," Chet said, trying to sound casual.

"Don't, Chet," Johnny warned.

"What?" Chet asked, his voice dripping innocence. "I'm just wondering why Headquarters would send you a woman? Are they hoping you'll put the moves on her and she'll quit in disgust?"

"Go play on the freeway," Johnny said, popping a deviled egg into his mouth.

"I heard she's quite a beauty," Marco said. "Sounds like Chet may be on to something. Everyone knows you can't resist a pretty girl. Maybe headquarters is trying to set you up," Marco said, egging Johnny on.

"Funny, Marco, you can join Chet playing in traffic," Johnny said, but he momentarily looked worried. Was that part of the Chief's plan? Put him and Katrina together assuming they couldn't keep the relationship platonic and they could fire Katrina? Johnny didn't think he was a target, but Katrina legitimately could be.

"Look at him, he's already worrying she's gonna turn him down," Chet teased, seeing the look on Johnny's face.

"Shut up, Chet," Johnny said, but he moved closer to Captain Stanley.

When the other guys were occupied loading their plates with food, Johnny leaned over to Captain Stanley. "Do you think that might be true? Chief McConnike's setting Katrina up, that's why he put her with me, knowing we'd shared a kiss?"

Captain Stanley arched is eyebrow. "I know I think the man can be manipulative, but that would be downright evil. It does sound almost possible though, doesn't it? I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out why they'd place her with you, given the romantic past. That's one thing that might make the assignment make sense."

Johnny narrowed his eyes. "So she's being set up to fail?"

"I don't know, John. Just be careful," Captain Stanley ended the conversation as Beth walked over to them.

She glanced between the two men, sensing they'd been having a pretty serious conversation. "You gonna get a plate, Hon?"

"Right behind you," Captain Stanley smiled at her and put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the tables of food.

Johnny hesitated just long enough to run his hands through his hair and went to join the food line.

E

"So how are your new paramedics, Cap?" Roy asked, as they were all seated around the fire later that evening.

"No sense of humor," Chet chimed in.

"Let me guess, the Phantom made an appearance," Johnny snorted.

"He may have welcomed the new boot with a bit of fanfare," Chet smiled, as he ran a finger over his mustache.

"Meaning Keith got flour bombed going for a cup of coffee," Marco said.

"He doesn't have your ability to take a joke, Johnny," Mike added.

"He was pretty upset," Captain Stanley said, unable to hide his smile. It had been an innocent enough prank, but Keith hadn't taken it well. "Steve's working out well though, Johnny was right, he's really good. He's doing a good job working of getting Keith up to speed on how to do morning supply checks, and finding a system to how to navigate a call. I'll think they'll work together okay."

"It's still an adjustment," Mike said, looking down at his can of beer.

"I know. That first night at 36s, I noticed the difference in the sounds of the room. I hadn't thought too much about it before, but after so many years together, you get used to each other's noises. The timbre of the dorm was different, it kinda threw me," Johnny said, looking around the circle.

"In a way, your relationships are like a marriage," Beth said. "You get used to the routines of the others. You know what to expect, that gives you a sense of security and comfort."

Roy nodded.

"Pretty soon, you'll feel that way about your new families though," Joanne said, sensing the somberness starting to fill the air.

"I just hope we don't lose this family," Johnny said.

"Yeah, with Johnny's track record with women, this is the closest he'll probably get to marriage," Chet joked, trying to avoid the emotions he felt rising.

"Funny," Johnny said dryly.

"Johnny's right. We want to make sure we're still fostering these relationships. Just because we aren't in the same station anymore, doesn't mean we aren't still there for each other. Right now, more than anything else, Roy and John need our support in getting their stations running top-notch. Is there anything we can do for you guys?" Captain Stanley asked.

"I just have to get my paramedics working as a team," Roy said. "I'm not sure how to accomplish that yet, but if you ever work with them on an OT basis, please feel free to share any ideas."

"John, what about for you?" Captain Stanley asked, when Johnny didn't respond, but sat looking down at the ground.

"I need to find a way to get the guys to accept Katrina," Johnny said quietly. "I'm not sure how to do that. They're really upset. The first day, I made her chore, cleaning the latrine; thinking getting out of the chore may help build some rapport," Johnny paused, a look of disgust on his face. "You should have seen what one of the guys did in the stall, on purpose!"

"Did you reprimand him?" Captain Stanley asked.

"Katrina wouldn't tell me who did it. She begged me not to make a big deal about it. She said that when she first started in the academy and some of the abuse started, headquarters stepped in and had a discussion with the cadets; she said it just made things worse. I don't know, do you think I made a mistake not addressing it?"

"I think consistency is key in leading," Captain Stanley said. "You need to set the expectations and make the men tow that line."

"And if it makes things worse for her?"

"I think it's probably going to get worse before it gets better no matter what you do," Mike said. "Ken told me a bit about her arrival. Sounded pretty rough."

"The other paramedic is a new boot too; they did the academy together; does he accept her better. I mean, he's been working with her for a while now?" Chet asked.

Johnny blew out a breath. "He's definitely not helpful. He's labeled her a women's lib troublemaker and is convinced she's gonna get one of 'em killed."

"Is she?" Chet asked.

"Chet," Johnny said, exasperated.

"C'mon, Johnny, it's a fair question. Can she actually do the job? You can't tell me you haven't thought about it," Chet said.

"She finished third in the academy," Johnny said, but not with a lot of conviction.

"We all know that doesn't really mean anything," Marco said. "Can she really do the job?"

"Her paramedic skills are good. She did okay in the apartment fire we had; she needs some work on her climbing skills. It's too early to tell how she'll actually do, but I don't think she's gonna get anyone killed."

"Do you think she'll try to do overtime in other stations?" Captain Stanley asked.

"I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. Why?" Johnny replied.

"Steve has a vacation planned soon. Maybe she could fill in for a shift, give us a chance to make her realize not everyone will hate her," Captain Stanley said.

"I don't know that I want to be working with her either, Cap. No disrespect, but I understand how those guys feel. We trust the paramedics with our lives; I don't want to be the one to find out, she can't do the job," Chet said.

"You wouldn't be mean to her, Chet. Right now, I think what she needs the most is to know that people don't hate her. I think she's prepared to have to prove herself; although that's one thing that worries me," Johnny said.

"What d'ya mean?" Mike asked.

"People that feel they have something to prove, make me nervous. It's like they try too hard, and make stupid mistakes," Johnny said.

"Helping her avoid that is part of your job, as her Captain," Captain Stanley advised.

"She at least tries," Roy said. "I swear Pat and Josh work worse together now then the first time I watched them working together. They really hate each other, and I'm not sure why."

"You're gonna have to get to the bottom of that," Captain Stanley said. "Being a Captain is not only leading the men during a fire or rescue, or doing all the paperwork for headquarters, it's also being a counselor to your crew. Respecting their right to privacy, while pulling out the things that are eating them up."

"You were always good at that, Cap," Johnny said.

"Fair, but firm; and always a friend," Roy agreed.

"Thanks," Captain Stanley said, blushing slightly at the compliment. Beth leaned over and kissed her cheek. She was proud of the leader that he was, and she knew he really cared about all of these men.

"Would you really be okay with Katrina subbing over at 51s when Steve was on vacation? You have to know, since Keith was also at the academy, he may have been one of the guys abusing her."

"I can watch out for my crew, John; and that includes anyone there for just a shift or two."

"What kind of abuse are you talking about, Gage? You mentioned it a couple of times," Chet asked.

"No, Chet, I'm talking actually, bruises and potentially serious injuries," Johnny said.

"When we responded to her injury at the academy, we were told she fell through a stair railing and fell about 20 feet. I found out later from Johnny, she was punched and then kicked to knock her through the stair railing," Roy said, in way of an explanation.

"Seriously?" Mike looked shocked that anyone fireman would assault a woman.

"Look, I'm not crazy about the idea of a woman fire fighter, but I'd never hurt her. The Phantom might douse her with water a few times," Chet smiled.

"No, he won't," Captain Stanley said sternly.

"Send her to us, John. We'll help make sure she knows there are some guys in the department that don't hate her. And, if she proves herself, we'll help you have her back," Marco said.

"Thanks, guys," Johnny said.

The men continued to chat and catch up as the evening wore on. Soon it was well beyond time for them to get to their respective homes, but the men lingered; no one wanting to end the familiar comradery.

"I think we should make this a monthly event," Captain Stanley said. "Once a month, we'll get together, we can alternate who hosts. But, before we leave, the next one is scheduled and on everyone's calendar."

"That's a great idea, Cap," Johnny said, his face lighting up.

"Yeah, Joanne and I can host next month, can't we, Jo?" Roy looked hopefully at his wife.

"Of course," Joanne readily agreed. "I've got my date book in my purse, let me get it and we'll set the date." Joanne got up and made her way inside the house. Beth following her so she could get her date book too.

The men picked the date for the next month's gathering. It would actually take place the week after Steve was going to be on vacation so the men would be able to share their opinions of Katrina with Johnny.

The picnic finally broke up with promises to see each other next month.

Johnny, Roy and Joanne waked out together. "Johnny, it isn't going to be a full month before we see you again, is it?" Joanne asked.

"No way," Johnny said. "I was hoping to come by next week and bum dinner."

"Great, come by on Wednesday," Joanne said. She leaned over and kissed Johnny's cheek before Roy opened the car door for her.

"See you next week," Johnny smiled at the two of them and headed to his Rover.

Chet was waiting by his car. "Hey, John, I've got this chick I'm taking out next week and her friend is gonna be in town, she asked me if I knew anyone that could double with us; you interested?"

"What's the friend look like?" Johnny asked.

"I don't know. Carla says she really pretty, but I've never seen her," Chet answered honestly.

Johnny shrugged, he hadn't been out much lately. "Sure, why not," Johnny agreed.

"Great, I'll call you tomorrow with all the details," Chet said, getting into the car.

E

Johnny felt much better heading into his next shift. It had been great seeing all of his friends, he'd made plans for a double date with Chet the next night, he was seeing Roy the night after that; he was finally starting to feel like his old self.

"Morning, Morning, Morning," Johnny called out as he walked into the locker room.

Ken looked over at him. "You're in a good mood."

"I got together with my old crew from Station 51, got a double-date set for tomorrow, getting a great home cooked meal at my best friend's house the next day. It's setting up to be a great week," Johnny said, unbuttoning his shirt and hanging it in his locker.

"Let's hope that spills over into the station. I could use a lighter mood," Ken said, closing his locker and putting his foot on the bench to tie his shoes.

"We can hope," Johnny said quietly as Kevin and Scott came into the locker room.

Johnny walked out of the locker room and into the dorm. Katrina was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at the wall. "I wondered where you were at, I saw your car in the lot."

"I got in early so changing in the locker room wouldn't be an issue," Katrina said.

"You doing okay?"

"Are you asking Kory that question?" Katrina said defensively.

"I'd ask any of my crew that, sitting in a dorm, staring at a wall," Johnny said.

"I'm fine, Captain Gage. Thank you for asking," Katrina said. She stood up and went to move past him.

"Don't shut me out, Katrina. My job is to help you make the adjustment to this station," John caught her arm before she could move past him.

Katrina hesitated; there was so much she wanted to say. But, this wasn't Johnny from the beach, this was Captain Gage. "I appreciate that, Captain. If I need anything, I'll let you go. I'm gonna go start coffee before roll call."

Johnny watched her walk out of the dorm. He moved to start making his own bed. Johnny walked into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway when he heard Scott talking to her.

"You know, if you put as much effort into being a fire fighter as you put into making your hair look nice we wouldn't have to worry about you getting one of us killed," Scott was saying, his voice dripping with disdain. "Ain't she pretty Kevin, with her pretty braid, wrapped around her head."

Kevin moved over closer to her. "Yeah, maybe we should take her…"

"Take her where Kevin?" Johnny said, stepping forward.

"We're just havin' some fun, Captain," Scott said. "Just hazing the new boot, you know how it goes."

"No, Scott. No, I don't know how it goes, and it isn't going to go like that here, not in my station," Johnny said emphatically. "Let me make something clear to all of you, we are a family. It may not feel like it yet, but we are. We may get on each other's nerves, we may get mad at each other; but we do NOT attack each other. Not any single member," Johnny emphasized.

"You cannot seriously expect," Scott started, but got interrupted by the klaxons sounded.

Sam's voice came over the speaker, "Squad 36, child down, Kennedy Elementary school, 9521 South Springer Street, cross street Cherry Dr. Time out 8:01"

Johnny moved toward the stand to write down the address as Kory and Katrina got in the squad.

When the squad pulled out, Johnny went back into the kitchen to continue addressing his men.

"This is not a discussion, gentleman. I saw the mess one of you made in latrine the other day; that type of behavior will not be accepted. Fire Fighter Paramedic Katrina Conrad is a member of this station, and she will not be abused her, not be her family."

"She's no family member of mine," Scott scoffed.

"As long as you're a member of 36s B shift, yes, she is," Johnny said.

"I tried to transfer, the Chief wouldn't let me," Scott complained.

"Then either suck it up, or quit," Johnny said, letting the anger edge into his voice.

Scott just looked at him.

"This is the part where you say, Yes, Captain Gage," Johnny said.

"Yes, Captain Gage," Scott said.

E

Kory and Katrina pulled up to the Elementary school, they quickly jumped out of the squad and were met by a teacher.

"She fell off the monkey bars, it's about a six foot fall," she said, quickly leading them back to the playground. "She hit her head on the cement footing holding the monkey bars into the ground. She's been unconscious about 12 minutes."

Katrina knelt down near the little girl and started taking her vitals. Kory hooked up the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 36, how do you read?"

"Go ahead 36," Dixie's voice came over the phone.

"Rampart, we have an unconscious girl, approximately 6 years old. She took a six foot fall and hit her head on concrete. She has been unconscious about 12 minutes. Standby for vitals," Kory said.

"Pulse is 59, respirations are 12 and shallow," Katrina said, as she pumped up the blood pressure cuff. She listened for a few seconds, "BP is 90/60."

"Rampart, BP is 90/60," Kory relayed.

Dr. Brackett walked up and looked over Dixie's notes. "36, how are her pupils? Any fluid in the nose or ears?"

Kory pulled the pen light from his pocket and checked the little girl's eyes while Katrina checked her nose and ears. "Blood in her ears and nose," Katrina said quietly.

"Rampart, her eyes are unequal and unreactive. There's blood in her ears and nose," Kory advised Dr. Brackett.

"36, start an IV with D5W and transport immediately," Dr. Brackett advised.

"Dixie, find me Joe, STAT," Dr. Brackett said, looking at the information on his pad.

Dixie quickly picked up the phone, "Page Dr. Early to the ER STAT."

Kory and Katrina quickly loaded the little girl into the ambulance with Katrina riding in with her.

Just a minute into the ride, Katrina knocked on the window separating her from the driver. "Pull over, I've lost her pulse," Katrina called out.

Katrina pulled open the little girl's shirt, just a few seconds later and Kory was opening the doors of the ambulance. "I've lost her pulse," Katrina told him.

"Get the defibrillator," Kory advised.

Katrina quickly grabbed the paddles and placed them on the little girl's chest. "Flat line, charging to 400," Katrina said, pressing the button.

Kory grabbed the biophone, "Rampart, we've lost the pulse, patient has flat lined. We're defibrillating now."

"Clear," Katrina called, shocking the little girl.

"Nothing," Kory said.

"Charging again."

"Rampart, no change. We're charging again."

"Clear!"

"Rampart, there's still no change," Kory said.

"Start CPR and get her in here, 36," Dr. Brackett advised. Joe just looked at him and Dixie as he walked up. Kel handed him the notes on the case.

Katrina started CPR and Kory quickly closed the doors, the race to Rampart on again.

Dr. Early and Dr. Brackett met the ambulance and opened the doors to find Katrina still performing CPR.

"Anything?" Dr. Brackett asked.

Katrina just shook her head, not trusting her voice to speak.

"Treatment room 1," Dr. Early said.

The group moved into the room, quickly hanging the IV, starting oxygen, Katrina continued to perform CPR. Dr. Early started his exam.

Several minutes passed while Katrina continued chest compressions and a nurse worked the bag, forcing oxygen into the little girl's lungs.

Dr. Early stepped back and shook his head. "She's gone."

Katrina looked up at him, feeling a weight pressing down on her chest. She continued doing chest compressions.

"Katrina," Dixie said, quietly, touching her arm.

Katrina looked over at her. She slowly stopped her chest compressions and climbed off the rail of the exam table.

"Let's get some coffee," Dixie said, seeing the pallor on Katrina's face.

Dixie lead Katrina to the doctor's lounge. Dixie set the coffee cup down in front of her.

Katrina felt the tear hit her hand, before she even realized she was crying. She ran her fingers under her eyes and looked toward the door as it opened.

Kory stood there looking at her. "Girls," he said, turning and walking back into the hallway.

"Great," Katrina whispered.

Dixie placed her hand on top of Katrina's. "Don't let your need to prove you can do your job, turn you into someone you're not. You can be a firefighter and still hurt over the loss. I've know a lot of paramedics, none of them escape the emotional toll."

Katrina gave Dixie a small smile and stood up, heading toward the hallway. She walked passed Kory, "We need to pick up a few supplies," she said.


	9. Chapter 9

Kory backed the squad into the bay. He got out, without looking at Katrina. He walked into the kitchen and got a cup of coffee. The guys were sitting at the table listening to an update on hydrant placement for a new subdivision that was being built.

"How was your run?" Johnny asked.

"Eight-year old girl, she didn't make it," Kory said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "But don't say anything to Katrina, she was already boohooing her eyes out."

The guys looked up, as Katrina walked in.

"Well what do you expect from a girl," Kevin said.

"Enough!" Johnny said angrily. "I told you this morning, that will not be accepted in this station."

Katrina looked at Johnny and turned around walking out of the kitchen.

Johnny looked at the guys sitting at the table and followed Katrina into the bay. She was sitting on the back bumper of the squad.

"It was a couple of tears," she said defensively. "I was not boohooing my eyes out."

"I was a paramedic for seven years, and every time we got a call involving a child, I used to get this knot in my stomach. It didn't matter any of the circumstances, there was always this knot. We're human, we try to keep our professional distance, most of the time we do okay; but some calls are going to get under your skin. Anyone's skin. It doesn't make you weak," Johnny said, sitting down next to her.

"I asked you not to make a deal about the guys hassling me? What talk did you have this morning?" Katrina looked over at him.

"I know what you asked me, Katrina. But, I talked to my former Captain yesterday and I'm not going to allow this type of behavior. It's my job to set the expectations and to make sure the crew tows the line. I won't allow them to bully you."

"It's just gonna make things worse," Katrina whispered.

"You're gonna have to trust me," Johnny reached over and rested his hand on top of hers.

Katrina moved her hand. She stood up, and looked briefly at Johnny. "You're the Captain."

She started to walk away.

"Katrina, Captain Stanley at Station 51 is gonna need to cover a paramedic on A shift soon, for a vacation. He said he'd be happy to have you work with his team. It's my previous station, and they're a great group of guys. Are you interested in some overtime?"

"Do you think that's such a good idea?" Katrina asked, turning to look at him.

"They'll give you a fair shake."

Katrina hesitated. "You're sure the guys would be okay with my being there?

"I promise Katrina, it'll give you a good idea of what things will eventually be like when people get over the shock of working with a woman," Johnny smiled at her.

Katrina gave him a small smile back, "Okay, I'll do some overtime."

E

"Katrina, welcome to Station 51," Captain Stanley said to the young blonde woman who entered in the back door. She looked a bit nervous and Captain Stanley tried to get her to relax, by giving her a big smile.

"Captain Stanley," Katrina nodded. "I tried to get here early to avoid issues with the locker room, how'd I do?"

Captain Stanley smiled. "Mike Stoker, my engineer, is in there right now, but he should be done any second. You should have a few minutes before the rest of the crew rolls in."

Katrina nodded again, looking around the combined kitchen and day room. Another guy walked into the kitchen from the bay. Katrina took in his tall frame, sandy brown hair and blue eyes. He smiled, and moved toward her. He stretched out his hand. "Hi, I'm Mike Stoker."

"Katrina Conrad," Katrina said, taking Mike's hand.

"The locker rooms free; I can show you where it's at," Mike said, turning to lead Katrina to the locker room. He joined Captain Stanley back in the kitchen and helped himself to a cup of coffee.

Captain Stanley looked over at Mike. "You okay?"

"It's odd," Mike said. "Even knowing she was going to be here today, it's odd."

"Agreed, but we're helping John," Captain Stanley said, reminding both of them why they'd agree to take a woman into the station.

Katrina came out just a few minutes later dressed in her uniform. Her hair pulled into a twist so it was up and out of the way.

Marco and Chet walked in the back door, with Keith, their new paramedic a couple of steps behind them.

"Katrina, our senior linesman, Marco Lopez, and our other linesman, Chet Kelly. I believe you know Keith," Captain Stanley made the introductions.

"Marco, Chet," Katrina said, reaching out and shaking both of their hands. "Keith, good to see you again." Katrina nodded in his direction, but did not reach out to shake his hand.

Keith looked at her and over at Captain Stanley. He simply nodded, made a hmmph sound acknowledging her presence, and looked back at Captain Stanley.

"She's going to cover for Steve while he's on vacation," Captain Stanley said, his eyes narrowing at Keith's behavior.

"Great, just great," Keith said, pushing past Marco and Chet and heading toward the locker room.

"I take it there was some friction between the two of you in the academy?" Captain Stanley asked, looking over at Katrina. Her face was starting to flush and she looked very uncomfortable.

Katrina shrugged her shoulders. "It's only a couple shifts, hopefully, he'll be okay with it."

"He doesn't have a choice. He works for me, I've accepted you as a replacement paramedic, he needs to tow the line," Captain Stanley said.

Katrina smiled. "Captain Gage used those exact words recently. He obviously has a great deal of respect for you."

"The feelings mutual. Johnny and Roy were the best paramedic team in the County. Maybe the State," Captain Stanley said, beaming with pride, as he talked about his former men.

"We really miss them around here. But, were happy to have you Katrina. Let me get changed and after roll call, I'll give you a tour of the station," Marco said, moving with Chet toward the locker room.

"Hey, Keith, what's your problem?" Chet asked, as he and Marco entered the locker room.

"What's my problem? Your Captain brought a girl into this station voluntarily and you're asking what MY problem is?" Keith looked at them incredulously.

"He's your Captain too, Pal and if you don't want to end up on latrine duty for the next month; you'd better adjust your attitude," Chet said, pulling off his shirt and slipping into his uniform shirt.

"Yeah," Marco agreed. "Besides, she seems nice enough."

"You guys are just swayed by the pretty face and great body," Keith grumbled. "You'll see quick enough, she can't do this job," Keith said, closing his locker and walking out of the room.

"How'd you like to have to put up with people talking about you like that all the time?" Marco asked.

"No wonder Gage wants her to work with us. This has got to be getting hard on her," Chet agreed.

Marco and Chet moved out of the locker room and stood in front of the engine for roll call. Katrina walked slowly into the bay. "Katrina, come stand over here," Marco called out to her.

Katrina moved to stand in between Chet and Marco. Captain Stanley assigned everyone chores. "Katrina, you can work with Marco on the dayroom and kitchen. Marco's on cooking duty too, so you can help out with lunch and dinner, okay?"

"Yes, Captain," Katrina responded.

"Katrina, why don't I give you a tour of the station, then I can show you around the kitchen and we can talk about dinner," Marco said, putting his hand on her back and leading her toward the dorm room. "First, I'll show you a bunk."

Marco showed Katrina a bunk on the other side of the wall from him. "You saw the locker room earlier. I'll show you where we keep cleaning supplies."

Marco showed her the closet, they gathered the necessary supplies for cleaning the kitchen and day room and moved back into the kitchen.

"What do you think we should make for dinner?" Marco asked her.

"Do you know how to make Mole Poblano?" Katrina asked.

"Mole Poblano, are you kidding? I love Mole Poblano, but do you know how to cook Mole Poblano? They're very difficult to cook correctly," Marco looked skeptical.

Katrina laughed. "My next door neighbor was from Puebla, Mexico. Her Yaya lived with her and taught us both how to make traditional Mexican dishes. Mole Poblano was my favorite, with that chocolate barbeque flavor and all those spices. We can make a cucumber salad and some rice to help off-set the spiciness," Katrina suggested.

"That sounds fantastic; the guys will love it. I haven't made Moles for them yet, because they can be complicated for one person. You know this means we'll get assigned to cook again when you're here next shift," Marco smiled at her.

"Haven't you heard, it's the one thing I'm supposed to be good at," Katrina said, a brief look Marco couldn't quite distinguish crossing her face.

"It's a good skill to have," Marco said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "But, I'm willing to bet it isn't the only one you've got."

Katrina smiled at him. "Okay, where do we start cleaning?" She asked.

She and Marco were almost done cleaning the day room and kitchen when the klaxons sounded.

"Station 51, small plane down two miles north of Culvers Pointe, time out 10:18."

Everyone quickly moved to the respective vehicles. Keith took the driver's seat and Katrina moved to the passenger side. She slipped on her helmet and accepted the piece of paper that Keith handed her.

Mike pulled out first, the engine leading the way, with the squad following closely behind. As they neared the site of the accident they could see dark black smoke rising in the air.

Captain Stanley jumped out of the engine, "Lopez, Kelly, pull an inch and a half and put out that fire before we need a full brush assignment. Keith, Katrina, you need to get down there and look for occupants," Captain Stanley said moving toward the railing and looking down toward the small plane perched precariously on the edge of the cliff.

Katrina and Keith started hooking up their life belts. Keith grabbed the biophone and moved to the edge of the cliff. He stepped over the railing and Captain Stanley helped secure his line to the front of the engine. Keith began to make his way down toward the plane.

Katrina joined Captain Stanley near the location where Keith was repelling down, carrying the drug box. "You okay?" Captain Stanley asked, she looked very pale.

"Yes, sir," Katrina said. She stepped over the edge.

"Katrina, you're gonna wanna move about 2 feet to your left, so your line doesn't tangle with Keith's," Captain Stanley advised.

"Oh, right," Katrina took a few steps to the side. Captain Stanley secured her rope and she slowly began her descent to join Keith.

"Katrina, hurry up, I need that drug box," Keith called, watching her progress down the side.

Katrina tried to move quicker, but lost her footing and slid down several feet before Captain Stanley was able to stop her progression by pulling on her rope. Keith shook his head and started making his way up to her to get the drug box. He took the box from her and moved back toward the plane. Katrina moved as quickly as she could to join Keith at the plane.

"The pilot has a bad gash on his head," Keith told her as she joined him near the plane. Keith pulled out his flashlight, "Pupils are equal, and reactive."

Katrina looked into the plane. "I'll get to the other side and check the passenger," She said, moving around the back of the plane and over toward the other door.

Katrina managed to get the door opened and felt for a carotid pulse on the woman in the passenger seat. She eased her back and checked her eyes with her flashlight. "Pulse is 45 and thready; she's got a hematoma on her right temple. Her right pupil is blown," Katrina said, placing her hand on the woman's stomach. "Respirations are 15 and shallow."

Keith moved over to the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?"

"Go ahead 51," Dixie responded.

"Rampart, we have two victims of a plane crash. The first victim is a male, approximately 48 years old. He is unconscious. He has a gash on his forehead. Pupils are equal and reactive. Pulse is 58, respirations are 20, bp is 110/70. Victim number two is a woman, approximately 40 years old. She has a hematoma on her right temple and her right pupil is blown. Pulse is 45, respirations are 15 and shallow, standby for BP," Keith relayed the information.

"BP is 90/45; also, I think her right arm is broken," Katrina said.

"Rampart, victim number 2's BP is 90/45, and she has a possible broken right arm," Keith said.

Dr. Brackett listened to the conversation. "51, start an IV with D5W on both victims, transport using backboards and neck braces. Continue to monitor vitals every 5 minutes. On victim number 2, make sure you immobilize the arm."

"10-4 Rampart."

"Cap, we're gonna need two back boards and a stokes to get the victims up," Keith called up.

Marco and Chet walked over to join Captain Stanley. "The fires out, Cap," Marco said.

"Good job. Do me a favor and get a stokes ready. We need to lower down some supplies to Keith and Katrina," Captain Stanley ordered.

Marco and Chet moved to assemble the necessary supplies. They tied the stokes to a line. "Keith, here it comes," Chet called out as they began to lower the stokes down the cliff. Marco and Chet then quickly secured lines to go down and help with the removal of the victims.

Katrina had managed to secure the woman's arm and made sure she was ready to be placed on the backboard.

Keith handed her a backboard and neck brace. "Her vitals are the same," Katrina told Keith as he finished securing the man to the backboard.

"Okay, I'll get him out first and then update Rampart," Keith said.

Marco moved toward the back of the plane, so he could assist Katrina in getting the woman out of the plane. Chet and Keith quickly secured the man to the backboard and removed him from the plane. Keith took another set of vitals and then signaled for Chet to move with the man in the stokes to the top of the road.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51, we have an update on our victim's vitals. Victim number 1 is out of the plane. His pulse is now 20, respirations are 18 and BP is 100/70. His eyes are still equal and reactive. Patient is still unconscious. We have stabilized patient number 2's arm, and are getting ready to remove her from the plane. Victim's vitals have not changed."

"10-4, Squad 51," Dr. Brackett replied.

"Do you need my help?" Keith asked.

"No, I think we've got it," Marco responded.

Katrina quickly secured the woman to the backboard and she and Marco moved her out of the plane. Marco helped load the woman into the stokes and they moved her toward the back of the plane. "I'll go up with her," Marco said.

"I'm gonna go grab the drug box," Katrina said, moving back toward the door of the plane.

Marco had made it about half way up the cliff when he heard a loud creaking sound and heard Keith cry out. "Katrina! Look out!"

Marco turned to see the plane starting to slide further down the cliff and right over top of where he had last seen Katrina. He looked over at her line, that was pulled taunt. Suddenly, he heard Katrina cry out and her line went slack.

"Katrina!" Captain Stanley called, moving to see if he could see her.

The plane slipped past the ledge of the cliff and fell, an explosion causing black smoke to start billowing up into the sky, but the flames were not visible from where they were. Marco quickly started moving back up the hill, to get the victim to safety.

"Chet, get a 2 ½ and get down there," Captain Stanley ordered, but Mike was already preparing the line and Chet was already on his way to the engine to grab it.

"Keith, go see if you can see her!" Captain Stanley called out to the other paramedic who appeared frozen in his spot.

Keith looked up at Captain Stanley and then moved toward the edge of the cliff. He carefully looked over the side, wondering if he would be able to see anything with all the black smoke. The flames were starting to move along the ground, about 20 feet below where he knelt, peering down over the side.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Katrina hanging on to a large boulder only about 5 feet down. She was not looking up at him, but appeared to be resting her head against the boulder.

"Katrina, can you give me your hand?" Keith said, laying flat on the ground and stretching out his hand toward her.

Katrina did not respond.

"Katrina? Katrina, can you hear me?" Keith asked.

"Yes," came the very quiet word.

"Can you get your footing and climb up onto the boulder? If you can stand on the boulder, I can easily reach you and pull you up," Keith said.

Katrina didn't respond.

"Are you hurt?" Keith asked her.

"No," she said, her response just as quiet as her yes had been.

Chet stopped next to Keith. "Can't you get her up?"

Keith sat up and looked over at Chet. "I think she's frozen in fear. She's barely responding and she's not moving. If she could get her footing and climb on the boulder I could easily reach her."

Marco was on his way to join them. "Is she okay?" He called out as he quickly repelled toward them.

"She's hanging on a boulder about 5 feet below the ledge," Chet called out. Chet waited until Marco was closer. "She's terrified, Marco. She can't seem to get it together enough to climb up so we can reach her."

Marco looked over the edge. "Chet, go ahead and start trying to get those flames out. Keith, are you secured, if you have to go down and get her?"

Keith nodded, as he checked his rope.

Marco laid flat on the ground, as Keith had done earlier. "Katrina, Katrina's it's Marco. Can you look at me, Katrina?"

Katrina slowly lifted her head and looked at Marco. "Listen to me, Katrina. You're okay. If you can pull yourself up a little bit, you should be able to stand on that boulder and we can reach you to pull you up."

"I'm not sure I can," Katrina said quietly.

"Why not?" Marco asked.

Katrina didn't respond.

Marco looked over at Keith. "You're gonna have to go help her."

Keith secured his line and dropped over the edge. "Hang on, I'm coming down to help you."

Keith moved to the side of the Katrina, his rope brushing against her arm. He heard her suck in a sharp breath. "Don't, don't move," she said.

"Relax, everything's fine," Keith said. He dropped below her and reached for her foot.

"No, don't," Katrina said.

"I'm just gonna grab your foot and push you up. Climb up onto the boulder and we can get you the rest of the way up," Keith said, reaching for her foot again. This time Katrina pulled herself up as he gave her a push.

She climbed up onto the boulder. "Katrina, reach up and grab my hand," Marco called out.

Katrina reached up with her right hand grasped Marco's extended hand. Keith climbed up beside her and helped push her up to Marco. Katrina kept her left arm tucked against her body.

"Did you hurt your left shoulder?" Keith asked her when they were both up and sitting next to Marco.

"The plane hit me when it slid. I barely got out of the way in time. It knocked me over the edge. I thought…," Katrina let her voice trail off.

"C'mon, let's get you to the top of the cliff and we'll send you into Rampart too," Marco said.

Keith secured the rope to Katrina and helped her move up the cliff, while Marco went to help Chet make sure they got out the fire.

"Are you alright?" Captain Stanley asked Katrina.

"Yes, sir," Katrina said.

"She hurt her shoulder," Keith said. "We'll take her in, to have it evaluated. Can you have someone follow us in the squad?"

"Sure, I'll have Marco meet you at Rampart," Captain Stanley said.

"Thanks," Keith said moving toward the ambulance.

E

"You're gonna have a nice bruise tomorrow, but luckily nothings broken," Dr. Brackett said, looking at the x-ray of Katrina's shoulder.

"Can I go back to work?" Katrina asked.

"You're gonna be sore, but other than the bruise, there's nothing actually wrong with your shoulder," Dr. Brackett told her. "You'll want to try to avoid hanging from any more boulders today."

Katrina fought to keep from rolling her eyes, but couldn't resist smiling when Dixie rolled hers.

"I'll get you a couple of aspirins," Dixie said, moving toward the cabinet. She poured two aspirins in her hand and filled a paper cup with water from the sink. "Take these, they'll help with the pain."

Katrina swallowed the aspirins. "Thanks."

Dr. Brackett left the treatment room, but Dixie stayed behind. "Are you really okay?"

Katrina let out a sigh and dropped her head. "I totally panicked; I couldn't even move. I know I'm afraid of heights, but it's never been that bad before. Keith had to rescue me. I'm supposed to be rescuing people, not being rescued. The guys already hate me enough and I just proved to them, they're right," Katrina felt her eyes starting to burn. She kept her head down and blinked quickly, promising herself she would not cry.

"This wasn't just a fear of heights, you thought that plane was going to crush you. It did cut your life line and push you off the cliff," Dixie said, placing her hand on Katrina's.

"That reason doesn't change the outcome," Katrina said quietly.

There was a knock on the door and Keith stuck his head in the treatment room. "You ready to go?"

"Sure," Katrina said, getting off the table. She grabbed her turn out and headed out the door, following Keith to the squad.


	10. Chapter 10

Captain Stanley climbed down from Engine as Mike parked it in the bay. Marco had taken the squad to pick up Keith and Katrina at Rampart. "I'll be in my office for a few minutes," Captain Stanley said to Mike.

Captain Stanley closed the door as he entered the office and dialed Johnny's phone number from memory.

"Hey, John, are you busy?"

"No, Cap. Is Katrina okay?" Johnny asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"We sent her to Rampart to get her shoulder looked at, but I think she'll be okay," Captain Stanley said. "That's not really the reason I'm calling."

"What happened to her shoulder?"

"We had a two-person plane crash. After they got the victims out, the plane slipped. It cut her rope and knocked her off a cliff. She caught a boulder and didn't fall the twenty-some feet; but…," Captain Stanley paused.

"But, but what, Cap?"

"She was terrified, John. We couldn't get her to climb up onto the boulder. Keith had to go down and get her."

"That doesn't sound too unreasonable to me. That accident could have been a lot worse; it could've killed her."

"It wasn't just that John, I had to direct her on how to climb down. You wanted to know if we saw anything that she needed to work on. That's why I'm calling; she really needs to work on her climbing skills," Captain Stanley stated.

Johnny nodded, then realized Captain Stanley couldn't see him. "Oh, uh, yeah, sure, Cap. Do you think I should go over to Rampart and check on her?"

Captain Stanley hesitated. "If it was a serious injury, John, absolutely. But, given what I saw, I'm guessing she comes back to finish her shift. This is where you have to be careful. This is where it gets easy to cross that line. If it was one of the guys, would you be thinking about going to Rampart?"

Johnny paused. "I don't know."

"If it's worse than I thought and she doesn't come back to work, I'll call you," Captain Stanley assured him.

"Thanks, Cap," Johnny said hanging up the phone.

Johnny paused, his hand still on the receiver. He picked the phone back up and dialed Roy's number.

"Hey, Roy," Johnny said, when Roy picked up the phone.

"Hi, Johnny, what's up?"

"When we talked last week, you mentioned that you needed to work with Pat on climbing, right?"

"Yeah, he lacks the skills, and his upper body strength isn't great either. He needs to learn some techniques to make him more effective. Why?" Roy asked.

"Katrina is doing some OT with 51 today. Captain Stanley called me and said Katrina needs to work on her climbing skills. I obviously can't take her out just the two of us, you know, considering our history. But, if you and Pat came with Katrina and I; the four of us could work together," Johnny suggested.

"I'm willing to try anything. I've got to get my paramedic team working together. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing a big reason Josh is so against Pat is because he doesn't think he's a very good fireman. I'd like to improve that situation."

"We're both on shift tomorrow, how about the afternoon when we get off shift. That way if it's been a rough night we can get some sleep; but we can work at least once before Katrina rotates with 51 again.

"Sounds good to me. I'll call Pat at home and let him know to plan on it. You just gonna tell Katrina when she gets to the shift tomorrow?" Roy asked.

"I think I'm gonna go stop by 51s," Johnny said quietly.

"Johnny…,"

"She got hurt, Roy. A plane knocked her off a cliff, cut her life line, she injured her shoulder. But, she's afraid of heights. Cap said she was really panicked. I just want to check on her."

"Johnny, that's not a good idea. Call Captain Stanley and ask him to relay the message to Katrina. Don't go there," Roy warned.

"You're probably right," Johnny said.

"I'm definitely right. Let's meet at Stoney Point Park for the climbing lesson, say about 4:00 PM."

"Sounds good."

E

Marco was leaning against the squad when Katrina and Keith exited Rampart. "You okay?" Marco asked Katrina.

"Just a bruise," she said.

"Still up to cooking Mole Poblano?" Marco asked.

Katrina smiled. Keith moved toward the driver's seat and Katrina followed Marco to the passenger side. "I need to do something to redeem myself," Katrina whispered.

"You did a fine job," Marco said quietly.

"Cut the crap, Marco," Katrina stopped and grabbed Marco's arm. "I froze out there; I blew it."

"Everyone has their fears, Katrina. Yes, you froze out there. Yes, you need to work on overcoming that fear, but you didn't blow it. You're new, you're not expected to be perfect," Marco said.

"Perfect is the only chance I've got of getting people to accept me as a fire fighter," Katrina whispered.

"Perfect won't get you accepted Katrina. Being willing to admit your weaknesses and working your butt off to fix them, that's what you need to do," Marco said moving to open the passenger door.

Katrina looked at Marco for a few seconds before getting into the squad and sliding over to the middle. Marco got in and closed the door.

Katrina stared at the traffic moving around them; her thoughts racing around what Marco had just said. Should she apologize to Keith for her failure? She'd spent the last several months working so hard to be perfect; all of it for nothing because of five stupid feet.

"Katrina, you coming?"

Katrina looked over at Marco. He was standing outside the squad, holding the door. Katrina jumped slightly, as she heard Keith's door slam shut. She looked back over at Marco and slid across the seat. "Sorry."

"Let's get a list of what supplies we need to buy for dinner. I'll try to make a run to the grocery store after lunch. I think we've got stuff to make chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, whatdya think?" Marco asked, putting his hand on Katrina's back and leading her toward the kitchen.

"Sure, think we have the stuff to make brownies for dessert?"

"Probably, that's definitely a way to the guy's hearts," Marco teased.

"It's not their hearts I'm trying to win," Katrina said.

"Look, I know I don't completely understand, but being Hispanic I've seen my share of discrimination. I saw some of what you're experiencing from Keith's reaction to you this morning; but you need to relax. You're not going to win people over by pushing so hard. You don't have anything to prove to them. You need to work on believing yourself that you can do this job."

"I know I can do this job," Katrina said, feeling offended by Marco's comment.

"Do you?" He asked, looking at her.

Katrina was saved from answering by the sounds of the klaxons sounding, calling out the squad to a possible heart attack victim.

E

Keith pulled up to the scene and Katrina jumped out and grabbed the defibrillator and oxygen. Keith grabbed the drug box and biophone. They quickly moved up the walkway, Katrina knocking on the front door.

A woman answered the door. "Thank God, you're here. He can't seem to catch his breath and says he feels like an elephant is sitting on his chest."

"Where is he?" Katrina asked, her gaze quickly sweeping the living room.

"Back in the den," the woman said, still standing in the doorway.

"Can you show us?" Katrina asked.

"Oh my, oh yes, I'm sorry, I'm just so frazzled," the woman said, moving deeper into the house.

When Katrina and Keith got to the doorway, they saw a man, approximately 60 years old, laying on the floor.

Keith moved around him and started setting up the biophone. Katrina knelt down next to him, reaching for his wrist to start taking his pulse. She quietly counted his respirations while holding his wrist. When she was finished, she reached over and got the BP cuff.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?" Keith said into the biophone.

"I can't breathe," the man gasped. "My chest is hurting so bad."

"Go ahead, 51," Dr. Brackett's voice came across the line.

"Rampart, we have a male approximately 60 years old. He is complaining of chest pains and is having difficulty breathing. He is diaphoretic. Stand by for vital signs."

"BP is 155/110, pulse is 110 and respirations are 32," Katrina said. She was pulling the oxygen tube to get the man started on oxygen.

"Rampart, BP is 155/110, pulse is 110, respirations are 32. We have started the patient on 6 liters of O2," Keith said.

"51, can you send me a strip?"

Keith had already been preparing the patches. He quickly finished placing them on the man's chest.

"10-4 Rampart, this will be lead 2," Keith said as he started the monitor.

"The patient is in V-tach, 51. Start an IV with lidocaine. Is the ambulance there?"

"Negative rampart, but one has been called," Keith advised Dr. Brackett as Katrina began to prepare the IV. She slapped the red sticker on the bag, showing it was lidocaine.

"10-4, 51. Continuing monitoring vitals and transport as soon as possible," Dr. Brackett said.

"Ma'am, could you go back to the front door and watch for the ambulance?" Katrina asked the wife.

"Oh sure, okay," she quickly moved out of the room.

"Do I really have to go to the hospital?" The man asked.

"Yes, sir, you really need to go to the hospital," Keith said, watching as Katrina quickly inserted the IV. Keith looked over at the monitor, watching for changes in the heart beat.

Katrina rechecked the man's bp and starting taking his pulse again.

"Respirations are down to 25," Keith said.

"BP is down to 145/100, pulse is 99," Katrina said, making a notation in her notebook.

"Rampart, patient's respirations are now 25, pulse is 99 and BP is 145/100," Keith said into the biophone.

The woman walked back into the room followed by two ambulance attendants, pulling a gurney.

"Rampart, be advised ambulance is on scene. We are preparing to transport the patient," Keith said as Katrina started packing up their equipment.

The ambulance attendants loaded the man on the gurney.

"Can I go with him?" The wife asked.

"Yes, ma'am, you can ride in the front of the ambulance," Keith said, closing up the biophone. "I'll ride in with him," Keith said to Katrina.

She nodded and gathered up the equipment, following the group out of the house. Keith climbed into the back of the ambulance. Katrina quickly stored the equipment Keith was not taking with him and got into the squad to follow the ambulance.

Once they arrived at the hospital, Keith went into Treatment Room 3 with Dr. Brackett. Katrina showed the wife where she could wait and then went to the nurse's station to get supplies.

"How are things going, Katrina? Are you enjoying working with 51 today?" Dixie asked.

"It's been good. The guys seem really nice," Katrina said, filling a box with the needed supplies for the squad.

"You know Keith from the academy, correct? He seems to have a pretty good grasp of the medical side of things," Dixie said.

"Yes, he did well in the academy," Katrina said, but she looked uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Is something wrong?" Dixie asked, picking up on Katrina's tone.

Katrina simply shook her head.

"If there's something Dr. Brackett and I need to know about Keith's skills, you really should tell us," Dixie said.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Katrina said, shaking her head. "Keith's medical knowledge is good. He does a good job."

"What's wrong then?" Dixie asked.

"I worked so hard in the academy to prove I was just as good as Tom, or Kory, or Keith, and this afternoon, I," Katrina stopped talking when Keith stepped out of Treatment Room 3 and started walking toward the nurse's station.

"How's the patient?" Katrina asked.

"It looks like he'll be fine," Keith said. "Are you ready to go? I'd like to get back to the station for lunch."

"Sure. See ya later, Dixie," Katrina said, scooping up the box of supplies.

E

The afternoon went by without any excitement. A few routine runs for the Squad and Engine separately and one house fire they responded to as a station. Marco and Katrina started making dinner as the rest of the guys enjoyed some down time. Mike was in the dayroom reading a book, Captain Stanley was in his office finishing some paperwork and Chet and Keith were sitting at the table playing cards.

"Good afternoon everyone!" Johnny called out as he walked in the back door.

"Gage, what are you doin' here? I thought we were rid of you?" Chet commented looking up from his cards.

"I just dropped in to see how things were going. From the smell of dinner, I think I picked a good time to drop in. Is there enough for an extra person?" Johnny said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Sure, Johnny. You're in for a real treat. Katrina and I are making Moles," Marco said.

"Moles?"

"Trust me, you're gonna love 'em," Marco said.

Katrina continued slicing the cucumbers for the cucumber salad and said nothing. She knew Captain Stanley must have called him and he'd come to check up on her.

At that moment, Captain Stanley stepped into the kitchen. "John, what are you doing here?" He asked, raising one eyebrow and casting a quick glance at Katrina, who had her head down, focusing all of her attention on slicing the cucumber in front of her.

"I just dropped in to say Hi, and see if I could invite myself to dinner," Johnny said, his voice a little hesitant at Captain Stanley's look.

"Why don't you come in my office for a few minutes, Pal," Captain Stanley suggested.

"Sure," Johnny said, following Captain Stanley out of the day room.

Marco looked over at Mike, who was still sitting at the couch and then at Chet, who was watching Johnny walk out behind Captain Stanley. He briefly looked over at Katrina, who still had her head down, focusing on cutting another cucumber.

"What the heck was that about?" Chet said, looking over at Marco as Johnny disappeared around the corner.

"Drop it, Chet," Mike warned.

"Is that your Captain," Keith said looking at Katrina, who did not respond.

"Katrina, isn't that your Captain?" He asked again.

Katrina looked up and could feel the heat rushing to her face. "Yes."

"Why do you think he's here?" Keith asked.

"Because I blew it on the rescue this morning," Katrina said, scooping the cucumbers off the cutting board and into a bowl. She moved to the refrigerator and pulled out sour cream, lemon juice and dill for the cucumber salad, and avoided looking at anyone.

Captain Stanley let Johnny enter the office first and then closed the door as he entered the office. He crossed his arms and looked at his former paramedic. "What are you doing here, John?"

Johnny had his hands in his pockets and was looking down, not meeting Captain Stanley's stern gaze. "I had to check on her, Cap."

"This was a very bad idea. You've left her thinking that I called you because I think she screwed up so bad that her Captain needs to get involved. Or, worse, you've opened yourself up to rumors that she's more than just a member of your crew to you. Now, I know what I said to you, which makes me even more convinced that her being assigned to you is a bad idea and you need to be upfront with Chief McConnike and ask that she be reassigned."

"This has nothing to do with my kissing her," Johnny said defensively.

"Really?" was all Captain Stanley said, as he stood there, his gaze boring into Johnny.

Johnny pulled his hands out of his pocket and ran them through is hair. "I'd be just as worried if it'd been Kory."

Captain Stanley said nothing, he just raised one eyebrow and continued to look at Johnny, his arms crossed.

"Roy and I are going to take her and Pat, Roy's paramedic, climbing when we get off our next shift. I wanted to give her the time and location," Johnny said meekly.

"Johnny," Captain Stanley tried to think of what to say to his friend that he hadn't already said. He was convinced there was more to Johnny and Katrina's kiss than Johnny was admitting even to himself and he saw trouble written all over her assignment to his station. "Maybe I should request that Katrina come work here and we send Keith to work with you. Marco, Chet and Mike will accept her and help her develop."

"I don't want you to do that, Cap. I need to prove myself as a Captain. Okay, maybe coming here was a stupid move. I'll give her the information about climbing, check in to make sure her arm is okay and then if you want me to, I'll leave. Although, that dinner does smell really good," Johnny said, giving Captain Stanley his trademark grin.

Captain Stanley shook his head and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Go talk to Katrina, you can stay for dinner. But, my offer stays out there, I can request Katrina to work with me. That way it doesn't reflect poorly on either of you."

"Thanks, Cap. I'll keep it in mind," Johnny said, moving past him toward the door.

Katrina and Marco were moving the cucumber salad, rice and Mole Pobalnos to the kitchen table.

"Katrina, can I see you for just a minute?" Johnny asked as he entered into the kitchen.

"John, you staying for dinner?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, Marco, I am. Will you pour me a glass of milk? We'll be right back," Johnny said, leading Katrina into the bay.

"I just wanted to check on your shoulder, Captain Stanley told me you were injured," Johnny said, moving her in between the engine and the squad, to give them a bit of privacy.

"You're here because he told you I panicked," Katrina said, crossing her arms and leaning against the squad, looking at the ground.

"I know you're afraid of heights, Kat, that's why you always go to the cove by water and never let me take you up the cliff," Johnny said lowering his voice. "But, you just don't seem the type to panic. I heard the plane knocked you off the cliff, cut your life line; that's pretty traumatic. I just wanted to see for myself you were okay."

"That wasn't the problem," Katrina said quietly.

"What was the problem?" Johnny asked, tilting his head to try to get her to meet his eyes.

"You shouldn't have come here, Captain Gage," Katrina said meeting his eyes. He looked so concerned though, she felt herself starting to smile. "It's nice to know you care though."

Johnny reached over and touched her arm. "What happened, Kat?"

Katrina shook her head. "I'll get over it. I'll learn how to do better."

"That's one of the reasons I stopped by. Roy, my former partner, is now the Captain over at 101. He needs to work on climbing skills with one of his paramedics. We are both on shift tomorrow, but Tuesday, when we get off, the four of us are going to meet at Stoney Point Park at 4:00 PM so we can work with both of you on climbing techniques."

"Do you think that's okay?" Katrina asked.

"Roy and Pat will be there with us. It's just two Captains helping two of their crew members improve their skills. It'll be fine," Johnny assured her.

"If you're sure; I'd really appreciate the help," Katrina said.

"Great, then it's settled," Johnny said, smiling at her. "Now let's go eat, the food smells amazing. You helped cook that?" Johnny started heading toward the kitchen.

"My neighbor's YaYa, grandmother, taught her and I how to cook several traditional Mexican dishes. Mole Poblano is one of my favorites," Katrina said, following behind him.

Johnny and Katrina took seats at the table and dished up the food.

"This is really good, I mean really good," Johnny said his mouth full of food.

"Geez, Gage, even with a woman at the table your table manners are disgusting," Chet said.

"Hey, that's Captain Gage to you," Johnny said, shoveling in another bite.

"You know, Katrina, we haven't told you any stories about your fearless Captain yet," Chet said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Chet," Johnny said, warning his former crew member.

"Has he ever talked to you about the female car accident victim that got him to watch her dog for him?" Chet asked.

"Wouldn't that be breaking paramedic rule number one?" Katrina asked.

"Never get personally involved with the patient," Chet said. "Let me tell you…"

"Nothing. You'll tell her nothing, since this is her Captain," Captain Stanley warned, his voice and expression stern.

"I'm just having a little fun, Cap," Chet protested.

At Captain Stanley's look he stopped talking and went back to eating.

Mike turned the topic to the upcoming fireman's Olympics and the guys were soon talking about who they thought was going to enter each event. "Do you think Bryce will compete again; now that he's a Captain?" Mike asked.

"Probably, you know he won the last couple of years in a row," Mike said.

"What about you John? You gonna go out for the Olympics?" Marco asked.

"No way. Roy tried to get me to do that a few years ago. I don't run like that anymore."

"You used to run?" Katrina asked.

"I used to do the 400," Johnny said.

"I ran cross-country in high school," Katrina said.

"Maybe you should try out for the fireman's, fire fighters, Olympics, Katrina," Captain Stanley said.

"I think for right now, I need to be concerned with improving my climbing skills, first and foremost," Katrina said, not looking at the guys.

Keith looked up, a shocked look on his face, at her confession.

"You'll get there," Johnny said.

"You gonna start working with her?" Mike asked Johnny.

"Roy and I are gonna go out a few times with Katrina and his paramedic, Pat. Just to help them learn some finer points," Johnny said, reaching for more rice. "I think this is the best meal I ever had in this station."

"It is really good," Captain Stanley agreed.

The klaxons sounded, everyone pushed back from the table, Johnny stopped himself as he started to enter the bay. "I almost forgot that's not for me," he said to no one in particular.

Johnny watched as the crew loaded into the squad and engine and pulled out on their way to a multi-vehicle accident. Johnny turned around and surveyed the kitchen. He walked over the table and started putting away food and getting ready to wash the dishes. At least that would be one thing the crew wouldn't have to worry about when they got back.


	11. Chapter 11

Katrina pulled up beside a beige Porsche when she reached the area Johnny had described for their climbing adventure that day at Stoney Point Park. A man probably in his thirties with sandy brown hair and a nice smile was leaning against the driver's side of the car, arms casually hanging by his side.

Katrina got out of the car and turned to look at him before closing her door. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Katrina, Hi, I'm Captain Roy DeSoto. We met once before, but you may not remember me," he said, his smile growing wider and more welcoming.

"You were with the paramedics that responded to the accident at the academy," Katrina said, finally placing where she had seen him before.

"That's right. You're looking much better today," Roy said, moving toward her, to offer her his hand.

Katrina shook his hand and gave a little smirk, "Let's hope that's the case by the end of the day."

Roy chuckled. "You'll be fine. Captain Gage and I will make sure your safe." Roy said, and turned to watch as Johnny pulled up on the other side of his car. "Speak of the devil."

"Hi," Johnny said, getting out of his Rover.

"Hi. I was just reassuring Katrina that we'd keep her safe today," Roy said, giving Johnny a knowing look.

"Absolutely, you're gonna be working with the best," Johnny said.

"Well, all the guys are pretty good at climbing and repelling; we've had to do it a lot in our jobs. That's why it's so important we focus on this area for not only you, but Pat, my paramedic as well. You have to be able to quickly and safely get down to your patient and then get them up," Roy said, turning his attention back to Katrina.

"I really appreciate you both taking time out of your free time to work with me. I'm sure you have things you'd rather be doing," Katrina said, looking toward the edge of the cliff.

"There really isn't anything to be afraid of," Johnny said, moving around the cars to stand next to her. Katrina closed her car door and moved to the front of her car, her focus on the cliff.

"Look, there's something the two of you should probably know, and I'd rather share it before Pat gets here," Katrina said, looking nervous as she turned to meet their gaze. "I wasn't always afraid of heights. In fact, they used to never bother me."

Katrina looked back toward the edge of the cliff and swallowed hard.

Roy and Johnny exchanged glances, but then just looked back at Katrina, waiting for her to finish.

"Five years ago, my family went camping and white water rafting in West Virginia. My brother, Paul, he's the middle child, and I went for a hike after dinner. We had climbed for quite a while and made the crest of the mountain we were on. The sun was just starting to set and the view was fantastic. We sat there, just chatting for some time. Before we knew it, it was starting to get dark, and we needed to get down. Paul took the lead, but I had my hand on his shoulder. There was an area where the rocks were really loose and Paul and I both slipped. The path curved to the left, but falling, we didn't have any control and we went over an edge. I managed to grab a tree branch and only fell about 10 feet, but Paul fell about 25 feet and landed on a stone ledge," As Katrina spoke, Roy and Johnny could hear the tension increasing in her voice and the fear as it began to creep in to her words.

Johnny started to move closer to her, but Roy reached out and touched his arm, giving his head a slight shake.

"It was dark enough I could see Paul's outline and knew he wasn't moving, but I couldn't tell how bad he was hurt. I kept trying to get my footing, so I could get up to the path and try to get us help, but the rocks were too loose and I just kept slipping," Katrina's voice caught as tears threatened to fall. She ran her fingers under her eyes to wipe at the moisture.

"I screamed for help as loud as I could, until my voice gave out. My arms burned from hanging on to that branch, and I knew if help didn't come soon I was going to fall. I was off to the side far enough that the chances of my landing on the ledge with Paul were slim. I couldn't even see the bottom of where I was at. I knew if I fell, I would die. And I was so worried that Paul was already dead," Katrina went silent for several seconds, as her mind replayed those memories.

"It was probably less than a half hour in total, but it felt like hours and hours. My dad and older brother Al finally found us. When we hadn't made it back to camp, they knew something was wrong. They'd brought ropes and harnesses. My brother Al got to me and managed to get me up while my dad went down to get Paul. Al had to pry my hands off the tree limb. I'm not sure if they had just cramped after my holding on for so long, or if it was the fear that had totally taken over every sense I had by that time," Katrina folded her arms around herself, suddenly feeling chilled.

Before Roy could stop him, Johnny had moved to the front of the car, and wrapped his arms around her. Katrina let herself lean into his warmth, and for just a moment rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The sound of tires crunching on the gravel brought them both back to reality and their senses. Katrina quickly pulled away and Johnny took a step back. When Katrina looked back at Roy, her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment.

"Paul turned out to be okay. He had a minor concussion and a broken leg. But, that's when I developed a fear of heights," Katrina quickly finished as Pat parked his car next to Johnny's Rover.

"I can certainly understand that," Roy said, ignoring what he had just seen between her and Johnny. "I think once you start learning proper techniques and how to use the safety equipment you'll feel more secure and that will help alleviate some of that fear."

Pat got out of his car. "Hey, Pat. Come on over and I'll introduce you." Roy called out.

Pat slowly made his way over to the group.

"Pat Green, this is Captain John Gage with Station 36 and Paramedic Katrina Conrad, also out of Station 36," Roy said, as way of introduction.

"I know you," Pat said looking at Katrina. "You fell at the academy."

"She didn't fall," Johnny started to elaborate.

"I remember you," Katrina said, cutting him off.

"You made it as a paramedic?" Pat said, a bit surprised.

"She's a great paramedic," Johnny said.

"I was able to pass all of my required test, both physical and book work," Katrina said, ignoring Johnny's comment in her defense. "I finished 3rd in the class."

"But, you can't climb," Pat said.

"Since you're both here, I would say that's a skill you both need to work on," Roy said, stopping whatever Katrina was about to say when she opened her mouth. "Let's get started."

Johnny and Roy moved over to Johnny's Rover to pull out belts and ropes. They moved toward the edge of the cliff with Katrina and Pat trailing behind them.

"First, let's work on the proper way to secure your belt and life line," Johnny said, holding out the belt.

"Katrina, I'll work with you, Captain Gage will work with Pat," Roy said.

"Why wouldn't he work with his own paramedic?" Pat questioned.

"It's good to get more than one perspective. He'll be giving her advice on the job every shift. Here, she'll get the benefit of a different viewpoint, and sometimes technique. There's frequently more than one way to do something correctly, and learning the way that works best with your personal style is important. The same applies to you. You'll get feedback from me regularly. Working with Captain Gage at these training times will give you a different perspective."

"Oh."

Katrina moved next to Roy, while Pat moved over next to Johnny.

Johnny and Roy spent the next several minutes teaching them how to secure the belt and adjust it to the proper tightness and how to quickly hook up the rope and make sure it was secured. They had both Pat and Katrina put the belt and rope on several times, finally starting to time them for efficiency. Katrina quickly grasped the concept and was able to secure her belt and rope in the 30 second window that they were aiming for after just a few attempts. Roy had her continue for several more tries though as they worked with Pat on his efficiency. Roy eventually moved over with Johnny, so he could offer a few other options to help Pat avoid getting himself tangled in the rope.

After another several attempts, Pat was finally able to get his time down to 45 seconds and they decided to move on to repelling down the side.

"Captain Gage is going to go down first. You'll watch his technique and he'll describe his actions to you as he moves. Then, one at a time, you'll go down, using those techniques. I'll be up here helping guide your line and he'll be at the bottom watching to make sure you're making the right moves," Roy explained the next step.

Katrina took a shaky breath and moved closer to the side, so she would be able to see Johnny as he maneuvered down the cliff. "First, make sure you always double check your knots. You can bet in the beginning, Captain DeSoto and I will be checking your knots as well, but that's no excuse for you not checking them," Johnny said, showing them how to double check the knots, they had just taught them to make. "Also, make sure you knot the end of your rope. That is one you do not want to forget."

"Next, watch your slack," Johnny said, adjusting his rope so it was tight, but would easily allow him to move as needed.

"Watch where your rope is at," Johnny said. "It's really easy to put your leg on the uphill side of your rope. This is gonna cause you to flip yourself upside down and you risk giving yourself a head injury; making yourself the new victim."

"It's important to really look at where you're about to descend as well. We have a lot of loose rocks in California. You want to find a place that has the least amount of rocks, because the last thing you want is starting a rock slide down on your head as your rope rubs rocks you've just loosened by jumping against them," Roy said.

"Okay, watch what I do as I descend," Johnny said, backing up to his drop point. "Always make sure you have your guide hand behind you, it controls your rate of descent. Today, this is not a race. The goal is a slow, controlled descent, where you can get used the techniques. Feel how the rope feels in your hand, the way the belt feels on your waist, the changes in the force of gravity."

Johnny stepped off the edge of the cliff and dropped a few feet. He described each step slowly, making comments about his footing, the way he was holding the rope, the rate of descent and what he was noticing about the area around him, loose rocks and good footholds.

"Alright, Pat, why don't you come down and join me," Johnny called out.

Pat went to move toward the edge of the cliff. "Did you check your knots?" Roy asked.

"Oh, no. I thought you just helped tie them so they should be right," Pat said.

"Don't ever trust anyone else with your safety. You need to check them. Plus, you need to get in the habit that you always double check your knots," Roy emphasized.

Pat checked his knots, and went back to the spot where he was going to descend. He checked the terrain and then dropped back off the cliff. He had not checked for extra slack though and dropped much further than he had planned. Roy pulled on the rope to tighten it up and stop his descent. "You've got to remember to check your slack, Pat," Roy called out.

Johnny then took over offering advice on footing, rate of descent and watching his rope. Pat made his way to the bottom of the cliff safely, although a bit clumsily.

"Okay, Katrina, you're up," Roy said, looking at the very nervous young woman next to him.

Katrina checked her knots, looked over the cliff and adjusted her position slightly to avoid an area that appeared to have a lot of loose rocks and adjusted the slack on her rope. She then turned her back and prepared for the first drop. She stood in position for several seconds not moving.

"Everything looks good, Katrina, your safe to drop," Roy assured her.

"I'm watching you Katrina, your form looks good from here, go ahead and step back," Johnny called out.

Katrina looked behind her and down at Johnny and Pat. She looked over at Roy, her eyes wide with fear. She swallowed hard and blinked several times. "I don't think I can do this," she whispered, her voice shaky.

Roy took in her pale skin and the tears glistening in her eyes. "Okay, let's go down together," he said. "I'm gonna hook us together and we'll move down together this time. I won't let you fall, and you can get a feel for how the movements work," Roy suggested as he moved over close to her and hooked their lines.

"Johnny, we're coming down together this time," Roy called out.

"Katrina, I still want you to put your hand behind you, and hold on to your rope. I'll actually be controlling our descent, but I want you to feel how the rope feels when it slides through your hand. Don't grip it too tight, or you'll actually be able to stop us from moving down. Just keep a light grasp so you feel how the rope slides through your hand." Roy stepped behind her. "I'm going to put my arm around your waist while I take us down the first drop okay? Just try to relax the best that you can," Roy said, as he pulled her slightly closer to him and took a big step dropping them both off the edge.

Katrina gasped and her hand gripped the rope, stopping her before her feet had managed to touch the side.

"Relax, Katrina. Loosen your hand just a little bit so you can come down a bit and get your footing. You're not gonna fall; I've got us both," Roy reassured her.

Katrina loosened her grip and dropped down near Roy. "Okay, now we're gonna do a slow descent. Just keep your hand loose and let me do all the work. I just want you concentrating on the things Captain Gage was mentioning earlier; how the rope feels sliding in your hand, where your placing your feet, the feel of gravity pulling on you."

Katrina let Roy take them the rest of the way down the cliff and worked really hard on paying attention to not only what she was feeling, but the movements he was making as he lowered them to the ground. Katrina avoided making eye contact with Johnny or Pat when she reached the ground. She knew she had looked like an idiot not being able to do that on her own, but the fear had been overpowering.

"That was a good first effort," Johnny said, trying to get Katrina to look at him. "Now we need to get back up to where we started. For now, we're just going to focus on getting ourselves up, and not what we need to do when we have a victim."

"For this, we're gonna be connected to each other. Whenever possible, you climb as a pair; your partner being part of your safety plan. If you slip, he or she, should be able to hold their position and stop your descent," Roy said.

"We're gonna take off our safety belts and ropes and secure them again. Then we're going to secure ourselves to each other. Pat, you and I will team up again and Roy and Katrina will be moving as a team," Johnny said.

"She didn't go down by herself, isn't she going to have to do that again?" Pat asked.

Katrina closed her eyes and turned so she was facing the cliff, and not any of the men standing near her.

"We are all going to go up and down a few times," Johnny said.

Roy and Johnny worked with Pat and Katrina on how to make sure they were properly secured for an ascent and then Katrina and Roy began their climb up the side of the cliff. Katrina felt more comfortable moving up the mountain and was able to make smart hand and foot hold choices, moving her and Roy up quickly. Her upper body strength was sufficient to easily pull herself up and Roy felt like she was secure enough to help if he were to need it; which he did not. He knew one of these days he and Johnny would test them, by "falling", but today was not that day.

"That was great, Katrina," Roy said, when they reached the top.

"Definitely better up than down," Katrina said.

"Fear is tough to overcome, but we'll help you get there," Roy said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Pat, you're gonna have to make smaller movements," they heard Johnny saying. "You're reaching too high at a time and your struggling to pull yourself up. Find a hand hold closer to the center of your body so you don't have to pull yourself so high."

"Katrina was reaching above her head," Pat replied.

"Katrina's about fifty pounds lighter than you and has the upper body strength to lift her weight," Johnny said.

"I'm not gonna be outdone by a girl who was too afraid to repel down by herself," Pat said, reaching far above his head and grabbing a small ledge and trying to pull himself up.

"Pat, you don't have a good hold there. Go down about 6 inches, there's a better place to grab and you can pull yourself up," Johnny instructed.

"I've got this," Pat insisted.

"Pat, you don't," Johnny warned. But, Pat continued to try to pull himself up. He had lifted his feet a few inches off the ground when his fingers slipped out of the hold and he wasn't able to catch himself. He quickly slid past Johnny, who steadied himself and secured his grip, pulling Pat's rope and stopping his descent.

"Are you okay?" Johnny called to him.

"Yeah," Pat said, trying to get a hold on the cliff again.

"Listen to what I'm telling you, Pat. The purpose of today is to teach you how to do things. Take my advice when I'm telling you things," Johnny said, as Pat started working his way back up to him. "You're doing it again. Don't reach so high up, keep your hand hold about the chest height, it'll be easier to pull yourself up. It may take a bit longer, but it'll be safer for you. As you develop your upper body strength you can start reaching higher."

Pat grumbled something under his breath, but he lowered his grip and was able to easily pull himself up each time until he and Johnny reached the top. "I'll bet you just think you're so great, you were able to get up faster than I was," Pat said to Katrina, in a harsh tone.

"And you were able to get down without someone having to hold on to you, so I guess we both have some work to do. We can either keep comparing ourselves to each other, or we can accept we both have work to do and we can start working together to improve," Katrina said, her hands on her hips.

Pat looked at her for a few seconds. "When you back up to go off the cliff, get to the location where you feel yourself start to panic and then stop. Don't plan to do the drop. Take in a deep breath through your nose, hold it and then slowly exhale through your mouth counting to 10. Do that about 5 times. That will help with some of the physical side effects of your fear. Then try to do the drop. At that point you should only need to overcome your mind."

"What?" Katrina said, confused at the sudden change in the conversation.

"It's a relaxation tip for dealing with anxiety. If you can calm some of the physical side effects that your fear elicits, maybe you can overcome the emotional impact of your fear," Pat said again. He began to check his knots. "Do you want us to take our belts and ropes all the way off, or just check them and go again?"

Johnny looked at Pat and then at Roy.

"Just check them. Johnny, why don't I go down first this time, and you can watch from above," Roy suggested.

"Sure," Johnny agreed.

Roy quickly moved down the mountain. Pat checked his knots, adjusted the slack on his rope and dropped down to begin his descent.

Katrina watched with Johnny as Pat moved down to join Roy at the bottom. His actions were less clumsy this time, he still had a long way to go to be where Roy wanted his performance, but he was pleased with the improvement he made in just one climb. "That's much better, Pat," Roy said. "You didn't make any of the same mistakes. Just a few observations," Roy proceeded to give him a few hints to improve his speed and skill in the descent.

Katrina watched them talking for a few minutes as she looked at the height distance from where she was, to where they were. She turned around and checked her knots. Johnny moved over next to her and checked them again. She adjusted her slack and found the place where she wanted to start her descent. Her eyes met Johnny's.

"You can do this, Kat."

Katrina closed her eyes and slowly drew in a deep breath through her nose, she held it as she counted to ten and then she slowly exhaled through her mouth. She tried it a few more times and while she was exhaling for the fifth time, jumped back off the cliff. She landed well, but instead of continuing her descent she stopped moving. Her hand tight on her rope, holding her in place.

"Katrina?" Johnny called from his position above her. She didn't move and didn't respond.

"Katrina, you're looking good, keep coming down," Roy encouraged her.

"Good job, Katrina," Pat called.

Katrina still didn't move.

Johnny quickly checked his line, moved slightly to the left and dropped off the cliff. He was beside her in just a second.

"Kat, talk to me," he said quietly as he moved to her side.

"I can't believe I did it," she whispered. "But, I'm shaking so hard, I'm afraid my hand won't hold the rope if I move."

"Try Pat's trick again, breathe in slowly, hold it and slowly exhale."

"I'm afraid if I relax, I'll let go of the rope and fall," Katrina whispered.

Johnny secured her line to his. "I've got you, you won't fall. Try to get yourself to relax."

Katrina closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "Okay, I'm ready," she whispered.

"You want me to go down with you, like Roy did?"

"No, unhook our lines. I want to try to go down by myself," Katrina looked over at him. "Will you stay near me though?"

Johnny gave her a signature crooked grin. "All the way."

Johnny unhooked their lines and they slowly started their descent side by side. Johnny gave her tips as they went and her technique and confidence improved each step down they made. When she reached the bottom she threw her arms around Johnny's neck. "I did it!"

"It was definitely a big improvement. I have a few suggestions for improvements to your technique that will help with your speed and accuracy; but you did a good job," Johnny said, extricating himself from her embrace and creating a professional tone to the interaction.

"Sorry," Katrina said, moving a couple of steps away. "Thank you, Captain Gage and Captain DeSoto for all of your help today. Pat, thanks for the breathing technique, it really helped."

"Well, we're not done yet," Roy said. "Let's aim for getting up and then doing two more trips down and up."

The group made their way back up and made the two more trips down and back up. Each time both Pat and Katrina showed improvement and the final trip down Katrina made without anyone near her, and without any delays due to her fear of heights.

"Way to go," Pat said, giving her a high five when she made it to the bottom on her own.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a genuine smile.

"Want to race to the top?" Pat asked her.

"No!" Johnny and Roy said in unison.

Katrina and Pat both turned to look at them. "Look, I'm glad you guys are starting to feel more comfortable and you both have shown great improvement this afternoon. But, don't get overconfident, that's when injuries occur. You both still have a long way to go before we even begin to work on speed. The next time we meet, we'll start working on how to bring a patient up in this type of setting. But, there are lots of different climbing and repelling environments, there is still a lot of work to do," Roy cautioned.

"Yeah, wait till we take you a hundred feet up on a crane and have you cross out to the end," Johnny smirked at Roy remembering the time they had to go out and save a man who had decided not to attempt suicide, but had been too scared to get back to safety.

Roy just shook his head and chuckled at the wide-eyed expressions on both Pat and Katrina's face.

"When we climb back up though, whatdya say we all go get food; I'm starving," Johnny suggested.

"I could eat," Pat said.

"Joanne wasn't going to hold dinner for me, so that sounds a lot better than eating lukewarm stew," Roy said.

"Sounds good," Katrina smiled, it felt really good to be accepted into the group as just another person, not as the "hated" woman.

The foursome climbed back to the top and stowed the gear in Johnny's Rover.

"Why don't we got to Mack's?" Roy suggested.

"That'll work," Johnny said.

"I don't think I know where that is," Katrina said.

"How can you not know that place, it's a regular hangout when you're in the academy?" Pat asked incredulously.

"I wasn't exactly invited to participate," Katrina said quietly.

"Oh," was all Pat said.

"You can follow me," Johnny offered. "I promise I won't lose you."

"Thank you, Captain Gage, I'd appreciate that."

E

Johnny, Roy, Pat and Katrina walked in to Mack's as a group and Roy pointed out a booth in the back corner. Katrina slid in first and Pat slid in across from her on the other side. Roy quickly sat down next to Katrina so Johnny sat next to Pat.

The waitress came over to give them menus and take their drink orders. Johnny, Roy and Pat all ordered a beer. The waitress looked at Katrina, "Can I get an iced tea?"

"Sure thing, honey," the waitress said.

"Don't like the taste of beer?" Pat asked.

"She doesn't like the smell," Johnny said.

Katrina, Pat and Roy all turned to look at him. Johnny quickly realized he had revealed a fact he had learned about her from the first day they had met at the cove.

"How'd you know that?" Pat asked.

"Uh, well, because, I," Johnny stammered.

"My wife tells him that all the time," Roy said.

"Yeah, I'm guessing based on what Joanne has said," Johnny recovered.

"I agree with her. I hate the smell," Katrina said.

"Is it gonna bother you with all of us drinking it?" Pat asked.

Katrina shook her head. "No, but thanks for asking."

"Katrina, how are you doing?"

Katrina looked up at the familiar voice. "Captain Henry, it's good to see you."

"Captain Henry, do you remember me?"

"Of course, Pat, it hasn't been that long since you were in the academy. You can both just call me Michael; you're done training now. I just wanted to stop over and see how things were going Katrina. Are you enjoying your new station?" Michael Henry asked her.

"Yes, sir. This is my Captain from Station 36, Captain John Gage and his former paramedic partner, now over at 101, Captain Roy DeSoto," Katrina said, introducing Johnny and Roy.

"So, you can't say anything other than you love your new station," Michael laughed. "Gentleman, it's good to meet you. Your reputation proceeds you. I've heard quite a bit about the dynamic paramedic duo," Michael said, extending his hand to both Johnny and Roy.

"I won't keep you, I just wanted to stop by and say Hi," Michael said, moving away from the table.

Johnny got up. "I'll be right back."

Johnny walked over to Michael Henry. "Michael, do you think we could chat some time? I'm curious about Katrina's experience at the academy, particularly this accusation of physical abuse and potentially from more than just the trainee that was dismissed."

"I'm not sure what I can tell you," Michael said. "Katrina was reluctant to discuss it and very clear she wanted her new Captain not to hear anything about it. We reported what we are required to report by law, but speculations were left out, at her request. She didn't want to be labeled a snitch or a trouble maker."

"I don't think she's either of those things, but you may not know she's been partnered with Kory Marks. I'm considered he may have been the one hurting her. He's been pretty hostile toward her at the station," Johnny said.

Michael looked around and saw that Katrina was watching them. "Why don't you call me at the academy tomorrow around 1:00 PM," Michael slid Johnny a card with his name and business number on it.

"Thanks," Johnny said, slipping the card into his shirt pocket.

Johnny walked back to the table. Katrina was watching him and did not look happy.

"Hey, Roy, you interested in doing any training at the fire academy?" Johnny said, as a way of explaining his conversation with Michael Henry; without actually saying that was what he was doing.

"We'll talk about it later," Roy said, narrowing his eyes. He didn't believe Johnny was talking to Michael Henry about volunteering for one second.

Katrina seemed to accept that as the explanation though and stopped glaring at Johnny. The four of them enjoyed their meal and then went their separate ways agreeing to meet again the afternoon after their next shift since Katrina was still helping out of at Station 51s for two more shifts.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey, Katrina, ready for another shift with the best station in the department?" Chet Kelly asked, walking into the kitchen from the parking lot.

"You guys are really great, but Captain Gage is a pretty good Captain," Katrina said.

"Of course he is, he learned from the best," Captain Stanley said, walking into the kitchen from the bay.

Chet headed into the locker room to change and soon Mike joined Katrina and Captain Stanley in the kitchen. "Anyone want coffee?" Mike asked moving toward the coffee pot.

"I'd love some," Captain Stanley said.

"Katrina?"

"Thanks, but I can get it," Katrina said, standing up.

"Relax. I'm right here, I'll get it for you," Mike said pulling three mugs down from the cabinet. He poured one cup and walked it over to Captain Stanley and then poured two more, joining Katrina at the table.

"How was your day off?" Mike asked her.

"It was good. Captain Gage and Captain DeSoto took me and Pat Green, one of Captain DeSoto's paramedics to Stoney Point Park to help us work on our climbing skills. It was a bit of a rough start, but I finally made it down all on my own," Katrina said, still feeling proud of her accomplishment.

"That's great, Katrina. Johnny and Roy did get in to quite a few situations that required them to be expert climbers. You couldn't have two better teachers," Captain Stanley said, pleased that Johnny had taken him up on his recommendation and even more pleased that he hadn't been foolish enough to go out with Katrina on his own.

"Good morning everyone," Marco said, hustling into the kitchen. "I've got to get changed, but Katrina, I've got a great idea for dinner tonight, we'll talk after roll call."

Katrina smiled and briefly thought how nice it would be to be part of this station; where they guys actually treated her like she was one of them and not some sort of monster to be hated.

Keith hurried in a few seconds later, gave a general hi to the group, briefly looking at Katrina and quickly moved toward the locker room to get ready. He nearly collided with Chet in the bay. "Sorry," Keith mumbled.

In just a few minutes, the members of Station 51 A shift were lined up in front of the Engine and Squad listening to Captain Stanley's instructions for the day. He hadn't even finished his announcements when the klaxons sounded.

"Station 51, Station 96, Squad 10, apartment fire, 3078 Ridgewood Dr, cross street Hatcher. Time out, 8:02."

"10-4, KMG-365," Captain Stanley said, as Mike rushed to open the bay doors. Chet and Marco climbed into their spots on the Engine and Keith climbed into the driver's seat of the squad while Katrina went over to the passenger side.

The lights went on and the sirens started to blare as the squad and engine pulled out of the station and headed toward the fire.

Station 51 was first on scene, so Captain Stanley had control of the scene.

"Marco, Chet, pull a 2 ½ and go into the building. Let's keep the exits cleared for any victims that may still be in the buildings."

Engine 96 pulled up and the Captain and one of his linesman walked over to Captain Stanley.

"Katrina, I thought you ended up at Station 36?"

Katrina turned to see Russ from the academy standing near her.

"Hi, Russ. I'm working some overtime with Station 51," Katrina said.

"Kory's working overtime with us," Russ pointed to Katrina's partner, who was standing over by Squad 96.

"Captain, have your men pull a 2 ½ into the building as well. Have them run it up to the second floor; Keith and Katrina, go in and clear the building. I'll send 96 in to back you up. 10's paramedics can triage any patients out here," Captain Stanley ordered.

"Stay safe," Russ said, quickly heading back to Engine 96 to pull the hose.

"You too," Katrina said, slipping on her air mask and moving with Keith toward the building.

"Let's start at the top and work our way down," Keith said, taking the stairs two at a time. Katrina followed closely behind. They made their way up to the third floor. There was minimal smoke and no flames. They quickly cleared the 8 apartments and moved back to the second floor.

Here flames were starting to break through some areas of the walls and the smoke was very dense. Katrina and Keith agreed to split up and search the apartments; he'd take the apartments on the right, she'd go to the left. They passed Russ and his partner who were working diligently to keep the flames in check while any remaining tenants were evacuated.

Katrina finished checking the second of her four apartments and was moving toward the third when she saw a brief outline of someone in the hallway. She thought it might be Keith moving toward his third apartment, but couldn't be sure. She entered her third apartment, calling out to anyone who might be in there. She quickly cleared the living room and kitchen area before moving deeper into the apartment and clearing the first bedroom and bathroom. She had just entered the last bedroom when she felt something hard hit the back of her head, and the world went black.

E

Keith walked toward the end of the hallway. "Have you seen Katrina, the other paramedic?" He asked the other linesman from Station 96.

"No, I haven't seen anyone. Russ just moved up ahead to see how the flames were moving along the outside walls. I think he went into the second apartment on the left. Maybe he saw her," the guy said.

Keith moved toward the second apartment and nearly ran into Russ coming out of the apartment. "We've got to get out of here. The flames have breached the ceiling of this floor. We risk having the third floor come right down on us," Russ said, moving past Keith.

"Katrina checked her apartments and left without checking in with me, can you believe her?" Keith said, heading for the stairs. "Did you see her; did she find a victim?"

"We were in the first apartment on the right for quite some time. Maybe that is when she exited. We really need to get out of here," Russ said, looking up as flames began to run across the ceiling of the hallway.

Keith moved down the stairwell to the first floor. He walked passed Chet and Marco and over to the squad. Katrina was nowhere to be seen. Captain Stanley was standing near the engine. Keith could hear Russ over the H-T describing the situation on the second floor.

"All right, pull out men," Captain Stanley ordered. The paramedics from Squad 96 had cleared the first floor and had just brought out a victim to Squad 10s paramedics. Kory and the other paramedic from 96 were heading back toward the building; but stopped when they heard Captain Stanley's order.

"Kory, did you see Katrina? She cleared her apartments and then left without checking in with me," Keith asked.

Kory shook his head.

"Were you on 2 at all?" Keith asked them both.

"Kory went up there for a few minutes to see if you guys needed help," the other paramedic said.

"No, I ran into Russ and he told me you guys had it covered, so I went right back down to 1," Kory said.

Keith looked at him briefly, and then moved over to Captain Stanley.

"Captain," Keith said, walking up behind him. "Did Katrina bring out a victim?"

"No, why?" Captain Stanley said, looking around for her substitute paramedic.

"She checked all her apartments and left without checking to see if I had any victims or needed any help," Keith complained.

"What do you mean? Where is she?" Captain Stanley asked, turning to look at Keith.

"She was with me on the third floor. We moved down to the second floor and split the apartments; I took the right and she took the left. All of her doors are marked as cleared, but she never checked back in with me."

Captain Stanley raised the H-T. "Chet, Marco, did either of you see Katrina exit the building?"

"Negative, Cap and we've been in the hallway the entire time. If she'd come out, we'd have seen her," Chet's voice came across the handi-talkie.

Captain Stanley looked over at Squad 10, they were giving oxygen to the victim that Squad 96s paramedics had brought out from the first floor.

"Keith, take over for 10s paramedics. Johnson, Dietrich, get up to 2 and check every apartment, see if you can locate my missing paramedic. You've got to move fast; it looks like the ceiling is ready to cave in." Captain Stanley ordered. He hated to send anyone into that building, but he couldn't risk the possibility she might be in there.

The two men quickly slipped on their air masks and made their way into the building past Chet, Marco, Russ and his partner who were coming down the stairs.

"Hey, we need to get out of here," Russ said. "That ceilings gonna go."

"We've got a missing paramedic," Johnson said.

"No, Keith said she checked her apartments and left," Russ said.

Johnson and Dietrich didn't bother to answer; they could tell instantly they did not have a lot of time. They quickly moved up the stairs and split up to search the floor. They'd been working together for just over a year and knew how the other worked. They didn't even need to talk about how to split the search, each man just moved to one side of the hall and started clearing apartments.

Several minutes had passed when Dietrich called out, "In here!"

Johnson quickly moved to the third apartment on the left. Dietrich was already lifting Katrina over his shoulder, her body unresponsive to the movements he was making. "It looks like she got hit with that metal bar," Dietrich said, indicating a large metal bar on the floor near where he had found Katrina.

"Where did it come from?" Johnson said, picking up the metal bar and Katrina's helmet.

"Looks like someone made a homemade chin up bar. My guess is it used to be hanging on the doorframe," Dietrich said, indicating the split area on the door frame.

"I'm gonna check the last apartment really quick," Johnson said. "It's marked, but it doesn't look like she actually made it there."

Johnson quickly checked the last apartment and then caught up with Dietrich as he was moving out of the apartment building.

Captain Stanley felt a stab of fear as he watched the two men exit the apartment building carrying a third person, instantly recognizable as Katrina from the blonde hair hanging down. As they got closer, Captain Stanley could see that blonde hair was matted in the back with blood.

"What happened?" Captain Stanley said, as Dietrich lowered her to the ground, Johnson already pulling off her air tank.

"I found her unconscious in the third apartment. It looks like she got hit with a metal bar," Dietrich said, starting to take her vitals.

"Why was she in the third apartment? Did she ever check the fourth apartment? Keith!" Captain Stanley called out.

"The fourth apartment had a chalked X," Johnson said. "But, I double checked it to be safe. The floor is clear."

Keith walked over. "Katrina was found unconscious in the third apartment," Captain Stanley said.

"How?" Keith asked. "Did the ceiling collapse? Why did she check the fourth apartment and then go into the third?"

"The ceiling didn't collapse," Johnson said, while hooking up the biophone.

"It looks like she was hit with that metal bar," Dietrich said. "There's a bad gash on the back of her head."

"Rampart, this is Squad 10, how do you read?"

"Go ahead, 10," Dr. Brackett's voice came across the line.

"Rampart, we have a Code I at an apartment fire. Victim is a female, approximately 23 years old, she sustained an injury to the back of her head," Johnson said. Dietrich handed him his notebook. "Pulse is 46, respirations are 14, BP is 90/50. Patient is unconscious. Pupils are equal and reactive." Johnson read off the notes, easily deciphering Dietrich's shorthand.

"10, start an IV with D5W, TKO and transport the patient immediately. Recheck vitals every 5 minutes and keep me updated on any changes."

"10-4 Rampart."

"I'll ride in with her," Dietrich said. "Do you want to send our smoke inhalation victim in the same ambulance?"

"Keith can ride in with your smoke inhalation victim," Captain Stanley said. "The second ambulance is pulling in right now. I'll have Marco drive the squad to Rampart."

"Okay, I'll meet you at the hospital," Johnson said to Dietrich as he started to clean up the supplies.

Keith moved with the smoke inhalation victim to the second ambulance that was pulling up, while Katrina was loaded onto a stretcher and placed in the other ambulance.

E

"Fire Academy, this is Judy," the friendly voice came across the line.

"Hi, this is Captain John Gage, I'm calling for Michael Henry."

"Hold one moment, Captain Gage. I'll see if he is free to take your call."

A few minutes later a male voice came on the line. "Captain Gage, I've been expecting your call."

"Sorry I'm a few minutes late calling, I've been out all morning trying to get new tires on my vehicle and it took much longer than expected."

"Things like that always do."

"I appreciate you agreeing to talk to me. Katrina has told me very little about her experience at the academy and I don't feel adequately informed to know how best to keep her safe," Johnny said, pacing around his kitchen, stretching the phone cord as far as it would go and then walking back to where the phone hung on the wall.

"Katrina was emphatic we not disclose information to her new Captain, but I'll be honest, I thought that was a mistake. Especially when I found out Kory had been assigned to be her partner. There were four people in the building when she was pushed through that railing. Katrina, Tom, Keith and Kory. Tom says he did not cause that injury."

"Then either Keith or Kory had to do it," Johnny said, feeling a sense of dread wash over him.

"Well, let's be honest, it's entirely possible Tom's lying. And we have one other possibility, one of the other trainees, Russ Hillerson, wasn't with the other guys. He'd excused himself to the restroom. No one saw him for several minutes before the accident and several minutes after the accident," Michael said.

"So either Tom is lying and he did actually push Katrina through the railing, or Russ, Keith or Kory were abusing her as well," Johnny summed up.

"Well, physically abusing her. She sustained a lot of emotional abuse from most of the guys. They were really rough on her. I'll give her credit for being tenacious. I don't think I could've put up with all they put her through."

"Did she ever file a complaint?" Johnny asked.

"No. But, the guys weren't exactly subtle. No one was trying to keep the harassment a secret," Michael said quietly.

"And no one in leadership stopped it," Johnny said, a bite of anger in his voice.

"It was felt if she was actually going to be successful in this role, she'd better be tough. Headquarters gave the," Michael paused, "suggestion, that academy leadership allow the men some latitude in their behavior toward Katrina, to see if she could handle herself."

"So headquarters was hoping she'd quit due to harassment," Johnny surmised. He wondered if maybe Chet hadn't been too far off. Maybe headquarters did want Katrina to quit and assigning her to his station had been another attempt to give them a reason to fire her.

"I think so," Michael said quietly. "I'm talking to you today because I feel bad that I stayed quiet all that time. I shouldn't have let those guys harass her. Maybe if I'd stopped the verbal harassment, the physical abuse wouldn't have started."

Neither man said anything for a few minutes. "Captain Gage, Katrina comes across as being tough and independent, and I personally have no doubts she can be an outstanding fire fighter/paramedic. But," Michael stopped talking.

"She's still a woman," Johnny finished his sentence for him.

"That makes her different than the others we deal with. You can't treat her like you would any of the other guys." Michael said.

"I'll keep that in mind," Johnny said.

"I hope you can help her. Get her to open up to you. Find a way to keep her safe," Michael said.

"Me too," Johnny said quietly. "Thanks, Michael."

"Good-bye, John."

E

Johnny had walked a couple feet down the hall, but turned around and walked back to his kitchen as his phone started to ring.

"Hello."

"John, it's Hank," Captain Stanley said.

"Hey, Cap, what's up?"

"Johnny, I've been trying to reach you for a couple of hours," Captain Stanley said.

"I was out getting new tires," Johnny said. "What's wrong?"

"Katrina's been injured," Captain Stanley said.

Johnny felt the dread sink into his chest. "Bad?"

"She took a blow to the head. She was unconscious when they took her to Rampart. I checked in with Dixie about 45 minutes ago and she was still unconscious," Captain Stanley said.

"Cap," Johnny started to speak, but Captain Stanley interrupted him.

"This is when you go to the hospital, John," Captain Stanley said.

Johnny hung up the phone without saying good-bye. He grabbed his keys out of the bowl near the front door and quickly made his way to his Rover.

E

"Dixie," Johnny called out as he entered the Emergency Room.

"Johnny, we just took her up to a room on 5," Dixie said, knowing why he was here.

"Is she conscious?"

Dixie shook her head. "Not yet, but her vitals are improving."

"Can I see her?"

"For a few minutes," Dixie said. "She's in room 522."

Johnny moved over to the elevator and punched the up button.

He moved quickly down the hallway and slowly pushed open the door for room 522. Katrina lay silently on the bed, a bandage wrapped around her head. Johnny moved over and out of habit reached for her wrist, checking her pulse.

Dr. Brackett walked in and Johnny laid her arm back on the bed.

"Old habits die hard," Dr. Brackett said.

Johnny just gave him a small smile. "What happened, Doc?"

"From what I've been told and what I can deduce from her injuries, she entered an apartment at the fire and was hit on the back of the head by a metal bar. It appears the bar had been a homemade chin up bar and had come off the door frame."

"So it fell off and hit her?"

Dr. Brackett looked doubtful, "I can't rule it out, but I doubt it. If it had just fallen off the doorframe and hit her, I'd have expected a bump, but this was a gash, and a pretty bad injury. If I had to guess, I'd say either she fell backwards and hit it and that was what knocked it off the doorframe, or someone hit her with it."

"Which do you think it was?"

"Given the fact that Dietrich told me he found her laying face down; if I had to guess John, I'd say someone hit her," Dr. Brackett said, placing a hand on Johnny's arm. "Sorry."

"You mind if I stay a few more minutes, Doc?"

"No, but I've got someone coming up in a few minutes to take her down for another test. We just got a CT machine. It's new technology that allows us to take a close look at the brain. We'll be able to get a better idea of the extent of her injury."

"Is it safe?"

"Completely. I'll call you if I hear anything."

"Thanks. I'm gonna head over to 51 from here. See if I can find out exactly what happened from Captain Stanley."

Dr. Brackett left the room, but Johnny stayed until they came to take Katrina down for her test.

He left the hospital and headed for Station 51. He pulled in to find the engine gone, but Keith was there with a replacement paramedic. "Hey, Pete," Johnny said, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey, Johnny. I heard about your paramedic getting hurt, sorry."

"Thanks. That's actually why I'm here. I was hoping to try to find out what happened."

Keith shrugged. "I'm not sure what we can tell you. She was checking the apartments on the left side of the floor. All four apartments had a chalked X that they'd been cleared. She was found in the third apartment. I'm not sure why she went back into that apartment though."

Johnny heard the bay door opening and knew Captain Stanley was back.

Johnny waited for him to step down off the engine. "Hey, John, let's talk in my office," Captain Stanley said.

Johnny waited until Captain Stanley had closed the office door and taken a seat before he spoke. "What happened, Cap? Dr. Brackett said he thinks she was hit with a metal bar?"

"I don't know, John. She and Keith had cleared the third floor and moved down to the second floor. He says he was clearing the apartments on the right and she was clearing the apartments on the left. All four apartments on the left had a chalk mark that they'd been cleared; but she was found in the third apartment. I'm not sure if she went back to check something, or maybe she skipped the third apartment for some reason."

"Dr. Brackett said Dietrich found her face down, so it's unlikely she fell backwards and hit her head."

"I don't know. Maybe she fell and rolled over before she lost consciousness," Captain Stanley speculated.

"If someone hit her, I guess we know that Keith was the one abusing her. I spoke with Michael Henry at the Academy today and he said that there were only four people in the building when she was pushed through the railing and injured at the academy. Tom, Kory, Keith and Katrina; they also had a fireman trainee unaccounted for during the time of the incident, Russ Hillerson. Tom was the one who was dismissed for trying to rig an accident to hurt her on the final exercise. He denied pushing her through the railing. If he was telling the truth, it had to be Keith since he was with her this morning."

"I wish it was that simple, Johnny. Kory was doing over time with 96 today and Russ Hillerson is one of their lineman," Captain Stanley said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Johnny said, running his hand through his hair. "All three possibilities were in the building with her?"

"And on the same floor, outside of the sights of others, at some point. Keith was checking apartments, Russ had left the other linesman to look at how the fire was spreading and Kory came up to the floor to see if they needed any help. Although, he says he was only up there for a few seconds. Or it could have been an accident."

"Cap, do you really think her injury was an accident?"

Captain Stanley looked Johnny in the eye for a few seconds before answering. "No."

E

Another ball of paper soared through the air and landed effortlessly in the trash. My mistake was x'ing that last door, he thought. He hadn't wanted another fireman to waste precious time checking the last apartment, when the fire had been moving so quickly. His original thought had been everyone would think she'd finished checking the apartments and left the building. Which initially they did. It figures Captain Stanley would send people in to look for her; rather than just let the men evacuate. That proved she was a menace to all the other fireman. No one should've been going into that building. The only reason they had is because Captain Stanley couldn't stand the thought of leaving a woman behind. If it'd been a guy in that building, they wouldn't have gone back in. She had to go. She was still unconscious, maybe the fact they pulled her out of the building wouldn't matter. Maybe she'd never wake up. Let's hope, he thought, as another ball of paper sailed through the air, landing in the trash can.


	13. Chapter 13

"Johnny, I was just trying to call you," Dixie said, spotting her favorite former paramedic as he moved toward the elevators.

"I thought I'd check on Katrina one more time before I went home. Is she awake?" Johnny asked hopefully.

"She is, just about a half hour ago. Joe just finished examining her; she has a concussion, and right now a splitting headache, but she should make a full recovery. They're gonna keep her tonight and tomorrow night, but should release her the next morning," Dixie said, leaning against the counter.

"Great. I can pick her up when I get off shift and give her a ride home; make sure she's okay. Do you think they'll let her return to work right away?"

"It'll depend on how she's feeling. Right now, she couldn't work, you can tell the headache is really messing with her."

"Whatdya mean?"

"She's having trouble focusing, her answers to questions seem to take some effort. It's normal considering what she's been through," Dixie assured him.

"Can I go up and see her?"

"Sure, but don't stay long, she needs her rest," Dixie smiled at him.

As Johnny moved toward the elevator, Dixie briefly wondered if there was something going on between Johnny and Katrina, but quickly dismissed it. John Gage may be a flirt, but he was the consummate professional.

Johnny knocked on the door of room 522, and hesitated just a moment, before slowly opening the door.

Katrina lay on the bed, head still bandaged, but her eyes were open and she was looking in the direction of the door. "Johnny," she said quietly. After a few seconds, she corrected herself, "Captain Gage."

"How are you feeling?" Johnny asked, keeping his voice soft and low as he moved across the room, to avoid aggravating her headache.

"Like I've been hit with a metal bar," Katrina said, trying to put some humor into her voice, but not quite succeeding past the pain.

"Do you remember what happened?" Johnny asked.

"I remember I was going in to check the last bedroom in the apartment, then everything went black," Katrina said, squinting her eyes.

"Why did you go back into the third apartment?"

Katrina looked at him for several seconds, like she was trying to understand the question. "I didn't. That was the apartment I was checking out, I had one more after it."

"Katrina, are you absolutely sure you didn't check the fourth apartment?"

Katrina moved her hand to rub across her forehead, putting as much pressure as she could stand to try to help the throbbing. "I'm sure. I checked the first two apartments and didn't finish the third before…," Katrina didn't finish the sentence.

"Before what?"

"I don't know. I'm assuming the ceiling must have come down. I just remember a split second of pain in the back of my head and then nothing until I woke up here," Katrina said, continuing to rub her head. The pain was intensifying and she was starting to feel sick to her stomach.

"Okay, let's not talk about it right now, you look like your starting to feel worse," Johnny said, noticing she had gone pale and she was starting to take short, shallow breaths.

"What did happen?" Katrina asked.

Johnny placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll talk about it in a couple of days, when you're not feeling so bad; and are likely to remember the conversation."

Katrina looked at his face and knew there was something he wasn't telling her, but her head hurt so bad, she just wanted to close her eyes. Katrina closed her eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths, hoping to settle her stomach.

Johnny thought she looked so fragile laying in the hospital bed, her skin almost as white as the sheets. He could feel the anger boiling just below the surface; someone had done this to her on purpose. Probably with the intention of doing more than just giving her a concussion. He could train her to have all the skills of an excellent fire fighter/paramedic; but could he keep her safe from someone deliberately out to hurt her? The weight of the situation weighed heavily on him.

He watched as Katrina's features softened, the look of intense pain easing as she drifted off into a light slumber. She would moan slightly when she moved, unable to have anything to help ease the pain. Johnny sat with her for about an hour and then knew he had to head home to get himself ready for tomorrow's shift. Mark Johnson, one of the paramedics that had gotten her out of the building would be covering for her tomorrow.

Johnny stood looking at her for a few seconds before leaving the room. "I promise, I will find out who's trying to hurt you; and I will stop them," Johnny whispered.

E

"How's Katrina," Kory asked as the men stood in line for roll call the next morning.

"Who cares," Scott said. "At least we don't have to work with her today."

"Not another word, Scott, or you'll face disciplinary action. Katrina Conrad is a member of our crew and you'll treat her with the respect due a firefighter/paramedic. Do I make myself clear?" Johnny said, his eyes locked with Scott's.

"What happened to Katrina?" Ken asked. He had been out of town and had gotten in late the night before. He had not had a chance to talk to anyone before roll call this morning.

"She was injured while working overtime with Station 51. She was hit with a metal bar on the back of the head. She regained consciousness later that evening, but they won't release her from the hospital until tomorrow morning. She has a concussion," Johnny filled in the group.

"What do you mean, she was hit with a metal bar, the ceiling caved in and had metal framing?" Ken asked.

"No," Johnny said, looking at Kory. "Most likely, someone hit her with a metal bar, intentionally causing her injury."

"Why are you looking at me?" Kory protested.

"Because you were at the scene and you can correct me, if my information is incorrect," Johnny said.

"Why aren't you looking at Johnson then? Not only was he on the scene, but he and his partner found her," Kory said, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

"Ok. Am I missing anything Mark?" Johnny turned to the covering paramedic.

Mark shrugged. "It's unlikely the bar could have caused that kind of injury just from falling off the doorframe. At the same time, I'd hate to think that a fireman could have done that. Our jobs are to protect people. I get that some people are unhappy working with a woman. I'm not even sure how I'd feel if she was assigned to my station; but to intentionally hurt someone, especially a woman, that's just wrong."

"Will she be coming back to work?" Kevin asked.

"Yes, she'll be coming back to work," Johnny said. "I don't have the exact date yet. I'll know more tomorrow when I pick her up."

Johnny finished roll call, assigning guys to fire hydrant checks and checking the air tanks. He had moved back into his office to review the previous shifts logs. He had been in his office about twenty minutes, when Ken knocked on the door frame. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Ken, c'mon in," Johnny said, sitting in his chair.

Ken closed the door and moved over to sit across from Johnny.

"Captain Gage, I just wanted to talk to you about Katrina for a second," Ken said, looking at his hands.

Johnny felt himself tense up slightly. "Okay."

"Some of the guys are talking about why you're picking Katrina up from the hospital tomorrow. It's creating some gossip, with you being single and her being an attractive woman. I just wanted you to be aware of it," Ken said.

"Katrina doesn't have any family in California. I'd do the same thing for any one of you. This has nothing to do with her being a woman," Johnny said, trying to keep his voice calm and neutral.

"I'm sure it doesn't; but with the tensions in the station, the guys are going to pick up on anything they can use against her. Believing she's getting special treatment because the Captain is romantically involved with her, is going to cause both of you lots of problems," Ken warned.

"I'm not about to let one of my crew take a cab home from the hospital; especially not because of some silly gossip," Johnny said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Captain Gage, I understand this is a really tough situation to navigate. I'm not even sure why headquarters would put a single woman in a station with a single Captain, when there were lots of other options. But, I get it, she's facing all kinds of harassment, you don't want her to feel like the Captain isn't looking out for her either. I came in because I was going to suggest that I pick her up from the hospital. Katrina will feel like someone else in the station isn't against her; and it will tone down gossip that there's something going on between the two of you."

"Your wife won't mind?" Johnny asked him.

Ken shrugged. "I was just gonna tell her I had to pick up one of the paramedics from the hospital. I wasn't going to specify it was Katrina."

Johnny shook his head. "Don't start hiding things from your wife. It's a bad road to go down. I appreciate your bringing me this information. Maybe I'll get Roy, Captain DeSoto, to go with me to pick her up. That should help with the gossip."

"Why don't the two of us go together," Ken suggested. "I guess after hearing that someone intentionally hurt her…," Ken paused. "I just want her to know, she can count on me."

"That sounds like a great idea. In fact, it will help solve a problem. Her car is at Station 51. We can pick her up and drop her at her apartment and then you can help me get her car back to her place."

"Sounds like a plan," Ken agreed. "I'll let my wife know that I'm helping you get Katrina from the hospital and get her car back to her place. She certainly won't mind that."

"Thanks, Ken. I appreciate you being there not only for Katrina, but also having my back," Johnny said.

"Anytime, Cap," Ken said, standing up and leaving the office.

E

"Captain Gage, do you want to take your car or mine to pick up Katrina?" Ken asked, coming into the kitchen to get coffee.

"You're going with him to pick up Katrina?" Kevin asked.

"Let's take yours, if you don't mind," Johnny said. "Yes, Ken's going to go with me to pick her up and help get her car from Station 51; then he can bring me back here to get my car."

"Must be nice having the Captain and Engineer at your beck-and-call," Scott said, sarcastically.

"I'd do it for any of you," Johnny said. "We're a team."

"Or we should be," Ken said, looking pointedly at Kevin and Scott.

"You wanna run around playing nice to the girl, go right ahead. She won't be here long enough to be worth the effort," Scott said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Johnny questioned, moving in front of Scott.

"Oh, c'mon, she can't climb, she's already gotten hurt; she's never gonna make it."

"Gotten attacked, you mean, not hurt," Ken clarified.

"You really think a fireman hit her in the head and left her in that apartment?" Kevin scoffed.

"It wasn't the first time someone attacked her," Johnny said.

"What?" Ken said, turning to face him.

"At the academy, someone attacked her during a training exercise. They knocked her through a railing; she fell about 20 feet. She had several other bruises, indicating it wasn't the first incident; just the first one bad enough to require a hospital visit," Johnny said, watching for Kory's reaction, out of the corner of his eye.

"Seriously?" Kevin looked at Kory.

"The guy that did it was booted from the academy," Kory said.

"He claims he didn't do it," Johnny said.

"No one actually bought that story. He was caught rigging another accident. It was too bad, he woulda made a great paramedic," Kory said.

"No, he wouldn't of; he was intentionally causing injuries. That goes against everything paramedics stand for; that's like saying an arsonist would make a great fireman," Ken said.

"Why weren't we told about her being attacked before?" Kevin asked.

"She didn't want anyone to know," Johnny said.

"And you're telling us now because…?" Scott asked.

"She's your teammate, and someone's deliberately hurting her. I think you deserve to know what she's facing. You have two choices, you can do nothing and allow someone to physically abuse her. Or you close ranks and protect her, because she's one of us," Johnny said, looking at each of them.

Kory shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided looking at Johnny. Kevin looked down at the ground, avoiding Johnny's gaze. Scott crossed his arms and looked directly at Johnny, his expression indifferent.

Ken just rolled his eyes, watching his shift mates. A month ago, he would have described this station as a family. Now, Jack had been promoted and he hadn't heard from him since he left the station. Steve had been transferred to Station 51 and Kevin and Scott were so bitter about Katrina's arrival that the only way to describe them was hostile. Because he didn't share their views, they were only speaking to him when they absolutely had to. It would be easy to blame the changes on Katrina, but Ken knew it wasn't her fault. Stations changed, people were promoted and transferred. New people were added to the team. He briefly wondered how Station 51 was weathering the changes; they'd lost two paramedics and gotten two new people.

E

"Captain DeSoto?" Pat knocked on the doorframe to the Captain's office. The next shift would be in soon and Roy was just putting the finishing touches on his logs.

"Come on in, Pat," Roy said.

"With Katrina in the hospital are we canceling the climbing session this afternoon?" Pat asked.

"No. I spoke to Captain Gage last night. He's gonna help Katrina get home from the hospital and still meet us for the lesson."

"Do you know how she's doing?" Pat asked.

"I know she regained consciousness and has a concussion; but I don't have any recent updates," Roy said, looking at Pat.

"Do you think it'd be appropriate for me to send her flowers? I mean, I know she's going home today, but I figured Captain Gage could give me her address. I just feel bad she got hurt."

Roy looked at Pat for a few seconds, debating what to say.

"It's true then?" Pat asked.

"What's true?" Roy asked.

"Someone intentionally hurt her? That's why you paused, you were wondering how much to say," Pat guessed.

"We still don't know for certain," Roy said. "But it does appear at least possible, that someone hit her with the metal bar, and it wasn't an accident."

"Do they know who did it?" Pat asked.

"I'm not sure," Roy said.

"So what do you think about flowers?"

"I think it's a good idea. If you don't mind, I'll chip in a few bucks and they can be from both of us," Roy said.

"Sure," Pat agreed. "We can ask Captain Gage if he wants to chip in on them too."

"Good idea."

Pat turned to look at the C-shift Captain entered the office. "I'll see you this afternoon, Captain DeSoto," Pat said, stepping out of the office.

E

"Katrina, get in the wheelchair," Johnny said, watching Katrina and Dixie staring at each other.

Katrina moved just her eyes to look at him.

"If I have to make it an order, I will."

Katrina huffed and turned to sit in the wheelchair. "I swear you're as stubborn as I am," Dixie said, trying to hide her smile.

Ken merely watched the exchange. A faint smile crossing his lips when Katrina got into the wheelchair. Hating being a patient was very much a firefighter trait. "I'll carry these flowers out for you," Ken said reaching for the vase.

"Oh, that's okay, I've got them," Johnny said reaching over and grabbing the flowers. "When we get down, you can go pull the car up closer to the entrance."

Johnny and Ken followed Dixie to the elevators. Ken moved ahead when they got out, so he could move the car closer to the exit.

"Dixie, I need you in 2," Dr. Brackett called out as he and two ambulance attendants pushed a gurney carrying a loud, very angry man.

"Go, I can push her the rest of the way," Johnny said, taking the wheelchair from Dixie.

Dixie moved into Treatment room 2.

"Are you still planning on going climbing with Pat and Captain DeSoto?" Katrina asked.

"Yes," Johnny answered, steering the wheelchair toward the exit.

"I want to come," Katrina said.

"No way."

"I realize I can't climb," Katrina said. "But, I can still listen to the instructions you give Pat and that will help me not fall too far behind him."

"You're going home to rest, Kat. That's it," Johnny said.

"I can just sit and watch. I've been trapped in a hospital for two days, Cap. Please, don't make me sit at home for two more days; I'm gonna go stir crazy. I promise, I'll bring a blanket, so I can sit near the edge and just watch what you're going over with Pat."

Johnny hesitated, watching as Ken opened his door and started moving in their direction. "Okay, I'll pick you up at 3:30, but you just sit and watch, no participating, at all," Johnny said firmly.

Katrina looked up at him and gave him a dazzling smile. "I promise, thank you, thank you, thank you."

Johnny set the brake on the wheelchair as Ken moved over next to Katrina. "Do you need any help?"

Katrina smiled at him. "No, I can make it. Thanks so much for helping Ken. I really appreciate both of you taking time out of your schedules. I could've just taken a cab."

"No way," both Johnny and Ken said at the same time.

Katrina smiled at them both and slowly moved to the passenger side of the car. Ken moved over to open the door for her; while Johnny put the wheelchair back inside the ER entrance.

Johnny and Ken got Katrina situated at home and then got in the car to go to Station 51 to pick up her car.

"Do you know how Station 51 is adjusting to having two new people?" Ken asked.

"I think it's going okay. Steve was only there for a couple of shifts before his vacation so I don't think they've had time to find a new normal yet."

"I was thinking this morning, that a month ago I would've described our station as a family. Now, things are just so tense," Ken said thoughtfully.

"There's been a lot of changes. A new Captain, two new paramedics, one of them being the first woman in the department. These aren't small issues. It's bound to cause some friction, but we'll get through it," Johnny said.

"I'm not sure that's true," Ken said. "I've known Kevin and Scott longer than you. Kevin may come around, but he really looks up to Scott, so it's questionable. Scott is really stubborn and he's definitely not what you'd call a modern man. They only have one car; his wife isn't allowed to go out without him. She does all the cooking, all the cleaning, has to have breakfast on the table when he walks in the door from a shift. It's a very 1950's kinda relationship. I'm wondering if Katrina would have it easier at another station?"

Johnny looked over at Ken, who kept his eyes on the road. "Because you think it'd be better for her, or better for Kevin and Scott?"

"I think it'd be better for the station morale, and for Katrina," Ken answered. He kept the rest of the thought to himself, but he'd seen the card on the flowers, it'd been signed, "Looking forward to getting you back to work, Captain Gage". Ken thought it was in Captain Gage's best interest to not be working with Katrina.

Johnny thought about Ken's statement for a few minutes. "I'll keep what you said in mind, Ken. I still think we can get this station on track and get everyone working together."

Ken pulled behind Station 51 and parked next to Katrina's car. "I hope you're right."

"I'll follow you in Katrina's car and then you can drive me back to my Rover," Johnny said, getting out of the car.

E

Roy and Pat stood leaning against Pat's car waiting for Johnny to arrive. Roy closed his eyes briefly when he realized his eyes were not playing tricks on him and Johnny had Katrina with him.

"Katrina, I didn't think you'd be here," Pat said, his tone shocked, as Katrina got out of Johnny's Rover.

"I was going completely stir-crazy. I begged Captain Gage to let me come and just watch," Katrina said, moving toward Roy and Pat.

"Do you think that was such a good idea?" Roy asked, his gaze on Johnny.

"I've been abundantly clear, she can only watch," Johnny reached into the back and pulled out a blanket, spreading it out near the edge where they'd be working. Today they'd met at gravel pit, so they could work on surfaces that were continually slipping.

Roy watched as Katrina slowly lowered herself to a sitting position. She still had a 4x4 bandage on the back of her head. Roy shook his head and took his position to start going over techniques with Pat, but stayed where Katrina could see what he was doing with the ropes.

Johnny and Pat went down the first time together, so Johnny could walk Pat through the process. Roy went down after them to allow Pat to watch the action, as Roy made footing choices and adjusted the tension in his rope.

"Captain Gage, Captain DeSoto and I were going to go in together and send Katrina some flowers. I thought you could give us her address to have them delivered and if you want you can chip in too," Pat said.

"Sure, Pat. I'll write her address down, but I already sent her flowers," Johnny said.

Roy looked over at him, but said nothing.

The men worked together for a couple of hours, with Katrina watching. When they finished up, Johnny walked over to Katrina and held out his hand, to help her off the ground.

"Pat, would you mind walking Katrina over to Captain Gage's vehicle, and putting the blanket away. I just need to have a word with Captain Gage," Roy said, trying to keep his voice nonchalant.

"What?" Johnny said, as Roy pulled him by his arm over to his car.

"You sent her flowers?"

"I arranged for a cake when Chet was hurt and when he went away, I brought the cake to you," Johnny said. "You're reading too much into this, Roy. It wasn't a big deal. It's not like I sent roses or anything. I asked the florist to send a nice get well soon bouquet."

"Did you send a card?"

"A card comes with the flowers. I said, 'looking forward to getting you back to work, Captain Gage."

"Why not just get well?"

"I figured talking about work was even less personal," Johnny rationalized.

"I'm just trying to look out for you partner," Roy said.

"I appreciate it, Roy. But, everyone is super sensitive because they know we shared a kiss. I was just being nice. And as for today, I get it, I hate being stuck in the hospital. She's been stuck there two-days; she can't go back to work until our next shift. She just wanted to get out."

"Okay. Just keep being careful," Roy cautioned.

"It's fine, Roy. Honest."

Johnny climbed into the Rover and put it into gear.

"Can I ask you a question?" Katrina asked. She was leaning back against the seat, her head turned so she could face Johnny.

"Sure," Johnny said, checking traffic before pulling out onto the road.

"What happened in that apartment? How did I get hit with the metal bar?"

Johnny drove for a few minutes without saying anything. He knew Katrina was still watching him. Johnny pulled off the main road and drove to a spot where he could stop and face Katrina while they spoke.

"What do you remember?"

"Just what I told you the other day; I was checking the third apartment and felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. I assumed the ceiling collapsed, but from your reaction the other day, I'm thinking that's not right," Katrina said.

"We're not exactly sure what happened," Johnny said. "The fourth apartment, you were supposed to check, but say you never went to, had a chalk mark that it'd been cleared. The apartment you were found in, was closed up and also chalked. The assumption had been that you found a victim and had exited the building without telling Keith. Captain Stanley had ordered the evacuation of the building. When it became evident you hadn't come out, he sent 10s paramedics in to look for you. They found you face down in the second bedroom, the bar laying nearby. We can't say with absolute certainty, but it is more than a little possible that someone deliberately hit you and left you in the apartment."

Katrina closed her eyes, several emotions hitting her at one time. She tried to push the feelings down, but felt like she was being overwhelmed. She reached for the door handle, getting out of the vehicle.

"Kat," Johnny called, opening his door and hurrying to the passenger side of the vehicle.

Katrina was pacing in the area between the road and a couple of large rocks. "So what, if Captain Stanley hadn't sent the paramedics from 10 to look for me…," Katrina paused, feeling her stomach churn. Did someone really try to kill her, or was she being overly dramatic? Thoughts were racing in her head and her headache flared again.

"Because why? They don't like having a female in the department. Is it really that bad? I knew it would be an adjustment. I figured I'd get hassled, picked on, even subjected to some sexual harassment; but kicking me so I'd fall through a railing, knocking me unconscious and leaving me in a burning building," Katrina looked at Johnny, tears threatening to fall. "Do I deserve that?"

"No."

"Be honest, Johnny. It's a huge change, I haven't cared about how anyone else felt; just about getting what I so desperately wanted. Am I wrong for pushing this? Am I wrong for thinking I can do this job? Would everyone be better off, if I just quit?"

"Don't do this to yourself," Johnny said. "This isn't your fault, and you shouldn't be asking yourself life altering questions in your current state of mind. You're still hurting, I can see the pain in your eyes. I know you haven't slept much the last two days, because nurses are always coming in and taking your blood pressure and drawing blood when you're in the hospital. This is not the time to be thinking about flipping your life upside down."

"You didn't answer the questions? Am I wrong for pushing this, maybe men just aren't ready? But more importantly, can I do this job?"

"Change is never easy."

"That's not an answer."

Johnny ran his hand through his hair. "No, the men aren't ready for this," Johnny said. "But they're never gonna be. The only way they get ready, is by being forced to adapt to the change. If I'm totally honest, I'm not ready. I don't know how to interact with you, no matter what you want the situation to be, you're different than Ken, or Kevin or Scott. But, I'm not gonna get ready until I have to do it. Until I have to figure out how to send a woman into a burning building, I'm not going to be ready to do that. You can't wait for us to be ready, to make the change happen."

"Can I do this job?"

"You passed the academy, scoring at the top of your class."

"Can I do this job?"

"I haven't worked with you enough to know that. But, I promise you this, if you can't, I'll tell you; and I'll do my best to teach you, so you can."

Katrina felt the tears start to fall. She turned away, trying to hide the emotions that were hitting her so hard. Johnny moved forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She buried her face in his chest and just started to cry. He let her just cry, until there were no tears left to shed. Johnny told himself, if it had been one of the guys that needed to vent, Johnny would have taken him out for a beer, or a really vigorous game of basketball. Women were different, this was how he needed to be there for Katrina, he told himself it had nothing to do with their past, this was about being her Captain.

Katrina stepped back and wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

"Feel better?"

"No," Katrina said ruefully. "But I needed to get that out. At least now I can think through my options without my emotions being so overwhelming. I was willing to accept the risks that come with being a firefighter. But, do I really want to put myself into a position where someone actually wants me dead?"

"Don't make any decisions right now, Kat. Give yourself time to rest and heal," Johnny advised.

Katrina nodded, but said nothing. Johnny drover her home, and offered to come in and make her dinner; but Katrina told him she had some soup she could heat up. Johnny walked her to the door and waited until he heard the lock slide into place before he left. He wasn't sure how all of this was going to play out; but he had a feeling the next few months would be anything but boring.


	14. Chapter 14

"Good morning, Katrina. How ya feeling?" Ken asked from where he stood, leaning against the engine.

"Much better, thanks for asking." Katrina said, walking out of the locker room and over closer to him. "I hope you haven't been waiting long, I didn't realize anyone was already out here."

"I was just coming in, when I saw you go in the locker room. I used the time to check over the engine," Ken patted the side of the gleaming red Crown.

"It's amazing the attachment you can get to a machine, isn't it?" Katrina said, slowly looking over all the gleaming knobs and gauges.

"Do you feel the same way about the squad?" Ken asked, looking at the empty space that the squad would have occupied, if the paramedics from the other shift hadn't been out on a run.

Katrina thought about it for a minute. "Not the vehicle itself; but the equipment inside. There's a certain amount of respect I feel for the defibrillator, and a sense of ah, over the OB kit."

Ken smiled. "I wonder if our Captain misses being a paramedic?"

"He does," Johnny said, stopping in the bay on his way from his office to the kitchen. "I was a paramedic for a long time. I miss working so closely with Roy. Knowing that what I did saved someone's life; it's powerful. As the Captain, I'm directing the people who are saving lives, that step of removal is an adjustment."

The three of them moved into the kitchen and Katrina walked over to start a pot of coffee. "I should go get changed," Ken said. "Save me a cup of that would ya."

"Sure," Katrina said, leaning against the counter. "Do you ever think about going back to being a paramedic?" Katrina asked Johnny.

"What, and give up all the glamour of paperwork, procedure manuals, and dealing with disgruntled firemen?" Johnny said, flashing her a crooked grin.

Katrina felt her heart do a little somersault. He was a very attractive man, and it was hard to ignore that when he flashed that full smile. "It really is a shame the department won't let you stay a paramedic when you promote up. It seems like such a waste of talent, and money. They pay money to train you, and then basically throw it away, by not letting you function."

"Something that is routinely pointed out to Department leadership, but so far it hasn't been changed," Johnny said.

Katrina poured her coffee, thinking about the issue. "Maybe smaller fire departments, that can't afford to be losing their paramedics will allow people to promote up and maintain their roles as paramedics and it will filter out from there. I wonder what my dad's department is doing?"

"How did he take the news of your injury?" Johnny asked, since she'd opened the door to discuss family.

"Are you kidding? There's no way, I'd tell him about that. He and one or both of my brothers would be on the first plane to LAX to come get me and bring me home," Katrina shook her head emphatically.

"I don't think this is something you should hide from your family," Johnny advised.

"I'd hide it from you if I could," Katrina said, before thinking about what she was saying.

"And that would cause you serious issues in your career. I have to trust that you'll tell me things I need to know."

"I don't think you need to know."

"You're wrong. As the Captain, it's my job to protect the members of my crew," Johnny insisted.

"Would you feel the same way if it was Kevin or Scott?" Katrina asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes," Johnny said, emphatically.

Katrina rolled her eyes.

"What do you think Captain DeSoto is doing with Pat? He knows there's tension between Pat and his partner Josh, because of Pat's performance. So he's working with Pat, not just to improve Pat's skills, but to improve their working relationship. There is no difference between what he is doing and what I'm trying to do."

"Except Pat's issue is skill based, something he can change. The guys don't like me because I'm a woman, something I can't change," Katrina argued.

"The guys don't dislike you because you're a woman. They're worried you can't do the job because you're a woman. You have to prove yourself, and there's gonna be some pushback until you convince them they're safe with you," Johnny said.

"So hitting me and leaving me in a burning building is pushback," Katrina said, feeling herself getting frustrated.

"No, that's physical abuse. The attitudes, the cold shoulders, the questioning everything you do, that's pushback," Johnny said, running his hands through his hair. "That's why I have to know what's going on. I have to stop the physical abuse, protect you from the physical abuse, and help you get through the pushback."

Katrina turned and poured another cup of coffee. She knew Ken would be back soon. Johnny shoved his hands in his pockets, looking at her back.

"Good morning," Kevin said, entering the kitchen.

"Mornin'," Johnny said.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kevin asked, feeling the tension in the air.

"No," Katrina and Johnny said in unison.

Kevin looked back and forth between them. "Uh, Katrina, can I talk to you for a minute? In the dorm?"

"Sure," Katrina said, moving to follow Kevin out of the kitchen and into the dorm. She passed Ken on her way out and he watched her and Kevin for a second.

"Do you think their okay alone?" Ken asked Johnny, as he walked into the kitchen.

Johnny shrugged. "I didn't sense any hostility. I think they're fine."

E

Katrina walked ahead of Kevin into the dorm. She moved about halfway into the room and turned to face him. He stood there staring at her for a long time, not saying anything.

Katrina just stared back.

"Uh, um, are you feeling okay?" Kevin asked.

Katrina's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"

"I heard, uh, we heard, what happened. I just wondered how you were feeling?" Kevin asked, shifting his weight back and forth.

"What did you hear?"

"That someone hit you with a metal bar and left you in a cleared apartment, in a building that was about to collapse."

Katrina fought the urge to swear. Why did Johnny have to tell everyone. Couldn't he just leave it as she was injured on a call. "I'm fine, completely healed."

"I didn't know someone had been hurting you in the academy and even now on the job. If I had," Kevin shrugged. "I wouldn't have pulled that stunt on your first day. Thanks for not ratting me out to Captain Gage, by the way."

"Who told you someone was hurting me in the academy?" Katrina asked, feeling a sense of dread wash over her.

"Captain Gage told all of us last shift," Kevin said, surprised by her question.

Katrina felt the anger wash over her. Why would he do that to her? He knew she didn't want everyone knowing about these issues. Katrina raised her hands to rub her temples.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked.

No, no, I'm not fine. I'm furious, Katrina thought. Instead of saying those words, she forced herself to smile at Kevin. "We should go get ready for roll call."

They moved out of the dorm room and into the bay. Katrina was so angry, she knew she was starring daggers at Johnny, but she couldn't stop herself.

Johnny kept looking at her, he could tell she was upset, but Kevin didn't appear to be upset. Johnny couldn't figure out what had happened between them in dorm room that would have her so upset.

When roll call was completed, she moved toward the squad to start inventorying supplies. Kory pulled out the biophone and started the radio check with Rampart. "How are you feeling?" He asked Katrina.

Katrina sighed. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem really upset," Kory observed.

"I didn't want anyone to know what happened," Katrina said.

"At the academy, or when you were with 51s?"

"Either," Katrina hissed.

"How come?"

"Really?"

"You'd think you'd be glad people felt bad for you," Kory said.

"What is wrong with you?" Katrina said, feeling herself losing her temper. "Do you want people's pity? No, of course you don't. You want to be accepted because you do a good job. That's all I want, a chance to prove I can do this job, and damn well, I might add," Katrina said, her voice rising enough it started attracting the attention of the other members of the crew.

"Katrina, Captain Gage just wanted us to know where you were coming from, and what you'd been facing," Ken said, joining the conversation.

"It wasn't his information to share," Katrina said.

"I think it was an important piece of information," Kevin said. "It made me realize what my behavior was like. I mean, I didn't physically hurt you, but I wasn't behaving much better. No one should be treated like that. I really am sorry."

Katrina looked at him, feeling some of her anger soften.

"I'm not sorry. As far as I'm concerned, it just proved what we knew all along, she can't do the job. A little hazing and she's crying to leadership she's being physically abused," Scott spat out.

"I did not…" Katrina stopped as the klaxons sounded.

"Squad 51, possible heart attack, 45 Pollack Ave, cross street Center, time out 8:20."

Katrina bent over, quickly closing the drug box and shoving it back in the squad. Kory closed up the biophone, and put it in the squad. He walked over to the driver's side and took the sheet of paper from Captain Gage, who looked over at Katrina. She turned her head to look out the passenger window. Johnny had heard the commotion and had just walked out of his office when Scott made his statement.

Johnny watched as the squad pulled out and turned to Scott. "I want to see you in my office, now."

Scott followed Johnny into the office.

"Your comment was completely out of line, and completely incorrect. Katrina never reported any of the abuse; and obviously wouldn't have shared the news on her own. No one deserves to be abused. I hope you know that," Johnny said, his eyes locked with Scott's.

"It doesn't matter what I think. I'm not working with a woman. I was gonna tell you at the end of the shift, but we might as well get this over with. This is my last shift, I've accepted a position with the City of Pasadena Fire Department," Scott said, his voice full of disdain. "You want to play nicey nice with some pretty young girl at the peril of your men, that's your issue. But, I don't have to subject myself to that kinda danger."

"If you feel that way, you don't even need to finish your shift," Johnny said. "I can call and get a replacement for you."

"Go ahead," Scott said, standing up. "Mark my words, you're gonna regret allowing her into your station."

Johnny watched as Scott stormed out of the station. He picked up the phone and called Marco.

"Hey, Marco. Are you interested in picking up some overtime? I just had a linesman quit and I need a replacement for the rest of this shift."

Marco readily agreed and Johnny made the Engine unavailable until he could arrive. He hoped Scott leaving would be a step in the right direction.

E

Roy was facing his own crisis at Station 101. The Station was out on a call for a car off the road; Josh and Pat had gone over the edge of the embankment and gotten to the victim; Jeff and Chuck had just moved down to bring a stokes, and he and Andy were getting ready to help pull the victim up as soon as they were loaded in the stokes.

The victim was a large man, probably 350 lbs., it was taking all four firemen to get him out of the vehicle. He was on a backboard and once they cleared the car, Jeff and Chuck stepped aside so Pat and Josh could move the victim to the stokes.

Unfortunately, Pat wasn't strong enough to hold the victim, his grip slipped and he let go of the backboard. Josh was standing on the low side of an incline and the sudden weight knocked him off balance. The patient landed on top of him and they both slid several feet down the embankment before a tree trunk stopped their fall.

Josh felt his back protest the sudden impact and drew in a sharp breath that he instantly regretted. The patient on the backboard was still pretty much laying on top of him, making breathing incredibly difficult, the edge of the backboard jamming into this shoulder. Josh tried to adjust his position, but his back muscles screamed at him and he let out a groan.

"Hold on, Josh," Chuck said and he and Jeff grabbed the backboard and moved the patient off of him.

"Just stay still; Pat's on his way to check you out," Jeff said.

Jeff and Chuck quickly moved the patient to the stokes while Pat made his way over to where Josh laid against the tree, trying to catch his breath.

Pat walked up and knelt down near him, reaching for his wrist to take his vitals.

"Get the hell away from me," Josh said through clenched teach.

"I need to check you out," Pat said.

"No way! You're not comin' anywhere near me. Do you hear me! You incompetent buffoon. You don't belong in this job, you're gonna get someone killed. Get away from me. You tell Captain DeSoto to call out another squad, you're not treating me," Josh groaned from the effort of his rant, but he was dead set on his decision. He'd rather die than let Pat work on him.

Pat moved away from him and made his way up the embankment behind Jeff and Chuck. They had heard part of Josh's tirade so they didn't even need to ask him what was going on.

Roy looked at Pat as he got to the road. "Josh won't let me treat him," Pat said. "You'll need to call another squad."

Roy looked around. They were pretty far out; he'd heard several units called out just a few minutes ago for a large factory fire. Getting another squad would take quite some time and tie up resources they just didn't have.

"Call Rampart and give them the information for this patient and take care of his treatment. I'll go down and check on Josh. Jeff, Chuck, bring another backboard and stokes," Roy ordered.

He quickly made his way down to the embankment toward Josh.

"I'm not foolin' around Captain DeSoto; I'm not letting Pat touch me. The guy is incompetent. I'd rather be working with the girl from 36. At least she's got an excuse for not bein' able to do this job."

"I'm not calling another squad. I'm gonna treat you here, but you have to ride in the ambulance under Pat's care," Roy said, reaching for Josh's arm.

He quickly took his vitals and did a quick examination. He loaded Josh onto the backboard and they all moved up to the side of the road again.

Roy handed Pat the information on Josh's vital. "Probable fractured ribs and deep bruising on his back," Roy said.

Pat relayed the information to Rampart.

"10-4, 101, are you ready to transport?"

"10-4, Rampart. The ambulance just arrived," Pat relayed.

Jeff and Chuck helped move Josh to the ambulance gurney while Roy and Pat loaded their very large victim on the other gurney. Roy carried over the biophone and drug box, while Pat climbed in. Roy closed the door and watched the ambulance pull away.

Andy stepped over next to him. "They're not gonna be able to work together after this," he whispered to Roy. "And as much as I think Josh can be a jerk sometimes; I really don't blame him on this one."

Roy just looked over at his engineer and said nothing. Tomorrow was the next Station 51 gathering and he was looking forward to getting his former Captain's advice on this one.

E

"Any word on Josh and his injuries," Andy asked as Roy stepped into the kitchen to get some coffee.

"Yes, I just got off the phone with Dixie. He has two fractured ribs, a badly bruised collarbone and some pretty bad bruising on his back; but no damage to his spine. He'll be out the rest of this shift and the next shift," Roy said, filling a mug with coffee and moving to sit down at the table with the rest of the guys.

"At least it gives you some time to think about how you're gonna get Josh to work with Pat when he comes back to work," Jeff said.

"Josh sent word through Dixie that he refuses to continue working with Pat. In fact, he's apparently been quite vocal down at Rampart, because the three guys I've tried to come get work for me as subs for the rest of the shift have all refused to work with Pat. I've got a call into Captain Gage over at 36 right now," Roy said, looking down at his coffee cup.

"Why Captain Gage?" Andy asked.

Roy looked up, not sure how his men were gonna feel about his idea.

"I'm gonna see if I can get his paramedic Katrina to come work with Pat for this shift and the next shift and Johnny can take the sub," Roy said, waiting for his men to react.

"Pat mentioned you'd been working with him and Katrina on some areas of deficiency. Is she any good?" Chuck asked.

Roy nodded. "She's really good. She's not the best climber yet, but she's got a lot of really good skills. I can see how she graduated at the top of her class."

The guys contemplated that information for several minutes. They were learning to trust Captain DeSoto and he was telling him they could trust this woman.

"Is it true someone's been deliberately hurting her?" Andy asked.

Roy paused, knowing Katrina was trying to keep that information as quiet as possible. "Yes, yes it is."

"Tell Captain Gage, she'll be safe here," Jeff said.

"We'll take good care of her," Chuck agreed.

Roy smiled. "Thanks, guys."

The phone rang and Roy stood up to answer it. "Station 101, Captain DeSoto speaking."

"Hey, Roy. What's up?" Johnny asked, leaning back in the chair in his office.

"Hey, Johnny. Let me move to my office, hold on one second." Roy put the phone on hold and moved to his office to pick up that extension.

"I need to ask you a favor," Roy started out. He went on to explain about the incident with Pat and Josh's injuries. "He's apparently been very vocal at Rampart and the word is spreading like wildfire because the three possible subs I called, all turned me down, refusing to work with Pat."

Johnny nodded. "I heard. Katrina and Kory had a run and were at Rampart when Josh got there. Katrina said Pat looked pretty upset and Josh almost had smoke coming out of his ears he was so mad. What can I do to help you, pally?"

"Let me borrow Katrina," Roy said.

"What?"

"Katrina will work with Pat. Send her over here to work with him for the rest of this shift and next shift and I'll arrange a sub to work with you," Roy said.

"Roy," Johnny said hesitantly.

"I've already talked to the engine crew, Johnny. They'd said they'd take care of her and keep her safe. She's probably safer with my crew than yours," Roy said.

"Unless Pat drops a 350 lb. man on her," Johnny quipped.

"At least he won't intentionally hurt her," Roy said.

"I'll talk to her and call you back," Johnny said.

He hung up the phone and walked out looking for Katrina. He found her sitting on her bunk, reading a book.

"I have a question for you," Johnny said, sitting down on the end of her bed.

Katrina set the book down and looked at him.

"Roy, I mean, Captain DeSoto, needs a replacement for Josh. The rest of this shift and next shift. Word has gotten around about what happened and none of the other guys want to work with Pat. Captain DeSoto would like me to send you to work with Pat and let the sub cover here for you," Johnny said looking over at Katrina.

"Okay," she shrugged.

"You don't have to, Katrina. But, he said his crew would keep you safe," Johnny said.

"For crying out loud," Katrina got off the bed. "Why? Why do you guys keep telling everyone what happened? I just want to be treated like all the other firefighters. I don't want people having to assure me, or you, that I'm not gonna get hurt. That's a risk we all take in this job," Katrina said, her frustration getting the best of her.

"We don't all risk getting hit by metal bars and left to die in buildings," Johnny said, standing up and moving in front of her.

"There's always a risk to get seriously injured or killed on the job," Katrina said, her voice low and tense. "It doesn't really matter the cause. I just want people to stop pointing out I'm a woman and therefore, I'm different. I need special assurances, or special precautions, or…,"

"You are a woman and you are different," Johnny cut her off. "You need to figure out how to accept that."

"Why? Why do I have to accept that, why can't you accept that I'm just like every other firefighter out there," Katrina gestured toward the general direction of the bay.

"Because you're not. The plain and simple truth is you're not like every other firefighter out there," Johnny motioned toward the bay as well. "Maybe in a few years, there will be more firefighters like you, but you're a woman, Kat. You're different," Johnny said, moving closer to her. He lowered his voice. "You look different, you smell different, you feel different. The guys can't ignore that, it's simple biology. You need to stop being worried about being different and convince them that different doesn't mean incompetent. It just means different."

"I knew it was going to be hard," Katrina whispered. "I just didn't expect it to be this hard."

Johnny reached out and touched her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"There are times, I really wish you weren't my Captain," Katrina whispered, taking a step closer to Johnny.

Johnny released her hand and stepped back. "But, I am."

Katrina blinked and stepped back as well; coming to her senses. "I'll get my stuff together. Do you want me to wait for the sub to get here before I head over to Station 101?" Katrina asked, her tone back to being completely professional.

"Yes. I'll call Captain DeSoto right now and let him know he can find me a sub and I'll send you over as soon as they arrive," Johnny said, moving toward his office.

Marco watched Johnny walk back to his office and Katrina move into the locker room to collect her belongings. He shook his head; this was a disaster waiting to happen, he thought. He knew the gang was getting together tomorrow, he needed to talk to Johnny about what was going on with him and Katrina. He knew they'd teased Johnny about dating her when they last got together, but Marco hadn't thought there would be any ring of truth to it. What he'd just seen though had him wondering exactly what was happening.


	15. Chapter 15

"Captain DeSoto," Katrina knocked on the door of the Captain's office.

"Come in, Katrina," Roy said, swiveling his chair to face the young woman.

Katrina entered the office and sat down in the chair Roy indicated, as he stood to move and close the door.

"I wanted to thank you for coming in and working with Pat. As you can imagine the situation is a bit tense with the mishap this morning," Roy said, as he sat back down to face her.

Katrina raised one eyebrow at Roy's choice of words.

"I know, serious understatement," Roy said ruefully, shaking his head.

"Captain DeSoto, may I speak frankly," Katrina asked, her voice slightly hesitant.

"Please."

"The issue with Pat isn't the incident today, or even any of his other failures. It's his attitude with the failures. Instead of just admitting he has some weak areas, he's trying to ignore them. That makes the men unsure of when they can depend on him. What you need to work on with Pat is his ability to admit his weaknesses," Katrina said, summing up the issue she had picked up in her training times with Pat.

Roy looked closely at her, it was a wise observation. "Very similar to what you're facing," Roy observed.

"No, sir. The men are upset because I'm a woman. I can't change that," Katrina protested.

"The men are upset because they're not sure that you have the strength to protect them when they need you, because you're a woman. If you were more open about your weaknesses, they would know when to feel safe and when to back you up," Roy explained.

Katrina felt herself withdrawing and getting defensive. She forced herself to take a deep breath and closed her eyes while she drew in a deep breath. "I'll keep that in mind, sir."

"Why don't you go check in with Pat? Have him show you a locker and a bunk and then I'll make the introductions to the rest of the men," Roy said, allowing her to be dismissed.

"Yes, sir," Katrina said, standing to her feet.

She wondered out into the bay and saw Pat leaning against the squad. "Captain DeSoto said you could show me a locker and a bunk," Katrina said to him.

Pat raised his eyes and pushed away from the squad. "Sure," he said, his voice dejected.

Katrina knew how he felt and she knew that no words were going to make him feel any better. She just briefly rested her hand on his arm and gave him a small smile when he looked up at her again.

Pat showed her a locker and she put away her stuff. He helped her setup a bunk and get ready for the night. "Captain DeSoto said he'd introduce me to the rest of the crew once we got me settled in," Katrina said to Pat.

"Before we go in there, Katrina, I just want to thank you for coming to work with me. I swear, no one could've carried that man, he was at least 350 lbs.," Pat said.

Katrina looked at him and put her hand on his arm again to stop his from walking out of the dorm. "Pat, we're in a very similar position. No one wants to work with us because no one thinks we can keep them safe. But, that isn't really true. We can do most aspects of the job, but we need to be honest that we do have some areas where we need to improve. Maybe if we start admitting our weaknesses and discussing what we're doing to fix them; the guys will ease up on us a bit," Katrina suggested.

"I can do this job just as well as Josh," Pat protested. "It was just a stupid accident; it wasn't my fault." Pat stormed out of the dorm and into the kitchen with the other guys. Katrina followed him a few seconds later.

Roy introduced her to all the guys, who were nice enough during the introductions. Katrina sat with the group and Roy went over information about a new factory that was starting operations that week. She worked hard to pay attention, but she kept thinking back to what Captain DeSoto had said. She had been working so hard to appear to be perfect, maybe that was her error. There were areas she knew she was weak. If she proved she was trustworthy in most areas, but knew her limitations, maybe the guys wouldn't hate working with her so much.

Katrina was snapped from her thoughts by the sounds of the klaxons toning. She went to the squad and took the passenger seat when Pat moved toward the driver's side. He pulled out in front of the engine with Katrina navigating.

"Pat, look out!" Katrina yelled, preparing herself for the impact she knew was coming as Pat sped through an intersection and a car coming from the side street didn't yield to the sirens. Katrina felt her seatbelt yank against her shoulder as the squad hit the front of the other car. She must have closed her eyes because when she looked up, the hood of the squad was blocking any view, but she could smell smoke coming through the windows.

Katrina coughed and instantly wished she hadn't done that, feeling the bruising in her rib cage from the seat belt.

"Katrina, are you okay?" She heard Pat asking. She looked over and saw he had a cut on his forehead, just above his eyebrow.

"Yeah, are you?" She asked.

"I think so," Pat said.

Katrina unhooked her seatbelt and got out of the squad to go check on the other car.

"Katrina, are you okay?" She heard Captain DeSoto's voice behind her.

"Yes, sir," she said, continuing to move toward the other car.

The squad was blocking her from being able to get the other car from driver's side. Katrina moved around the car and opened the passenger door. The man behind the wheel was leaning back and rubbing his left arm.

"Are you okay?" Katrina asked loudly, trying to be heard over the blaring radio. She slid into the passenger seat of the vehicle and looked over the man.

"I think so, my arm hurts pretty bad," he said.

"Okay, try not to move it," Katrina said. She reached for his wrist and took the man's pulse. A bit fast, but that was to be expected since he was just involved in an automobile accident.

"I didn't hear the siren," the man said.

Katrina turned down the radio, "I'm not surprised."

"Are the firemen alright?"

"We are," Katrina said.

"You're a fireman?" He said, really looking at her for the first time.

"Firefighter, paramedic," Katrina clarified.

"I didn't know they had women firemen," the man said, still looking at her.

"Katrina, whatdya got," Roy said, setting down the biophone and trauma box next to her.

"Possible broken arm," Katrina explained. "We're gonna need an ambulance."

"I already called one and advised LA we were unavailable for the fire due to an auto accident enroute," Roy explained.

Katrina heard the sizzle of cool water hitting the hot engines. "Pat had a cut above his eye; I'll check him out next," Karina said, reaching out to get the necessary supplies to immobize the man's arm. She sucked in a breath and pulled back her arm at the sharp pain in her rib cage.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked.

Katrina resisted the urge to say she was fine, instead she took a few short breaths and looked back at Roy. "Actually, I think I bruised my rib cage. I can immobilze his arm, but I'm gonna need Jeff and Chuck to help me get him out of the car."

"I'll let them know to standby for when you're ready," Roy said, giving her a smile before he moved away from the car.

Katrina climbed into the ambulance with Pat and their accident victim. Luckily the man was taking responsibility for the accident and there were not any accusations flying; but Katrina suspected that after the issue with the patient earlier this morning and now an accident with the squad that Pat was going to have some problems with departmental leadership.

E

Joanne opened the door to Marco's knock. "Hey, Marco, come on in. Roy's in the back firing up the grill," Joanne said, stepping out of Marco's way. He was carrying several large trays of food.

"Thanks, Joanne," Marco moved to the back deck and placed the trays of food on the table Joanne had set up earlier in the day.

"Hey, Marco, grab a beer," Roy said, pointing toward the cooler. "You're the first one here."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you before everyone else got here," Marco said, adjusting the trays on the table.

"Oh?" Roy said, turning around, wondering what would cause Marco to sound so serious.

"Do you know if there's anything goin' on between Johnny and Katrina?" Marco leaned against the rail of the deck and looked at Roy.

Roy reached for a bottle of beer and took a long drink before answering. "No, why do you ask?"

Marco shook his head. "Your answer tells me different. I worked with Johnny yesterday when they sent Katrina to your station. I went looking for her before she left and saw her and Johnny in the dorm room. He was holding her hand and she took a step closer to him before he dropped her hand and moved back. It looked pretty cozy."

"Johnny wouldn't get involved with someone working for him," Roy said, avoiding actually answering the question.

"Roy what are you not telling me?" Marco asked.

"Is Roy holding out on you, Marco?" Johnny asked, walking up the deck stairs.

"I don't know, Johnny, is he?" Marco asked, turning to face his friend.

"Huh?" Johnny asked, looking confused.

"What's going on with you and Katrina?" Marco asked.

"Nothing," Johnny said, looking over at Roy.

"I saw you holding her hand yesterday," Marco said.

"I wasn't holding her hand," Johnny objected.

"Whose hand weren't you holding?" Chet asked, coming out onto the deck with Joanne.

"Katrina's," Marco said.

"You were holding Katrina's hand?" Chet asked, his eyebrows raising.

"Oh c'mon, Johnny. We talked about the risk given your kiss; you should've come to me if it was getting too hard to keep the relationship professional," Captain Stanley said, as he too came around the side of the house and started up the deck stairs.

"You kissed her?" Marco and Chet said in unison.

"No! Well, yes, kinda, but no, not when she worked for me. Before I knew she was a firefighter," Johnny hedged.

Joanne looked at Beth from the sliding door on the deck. "Want to go out, just the girls?"

"Oh yeah," Beth said, turning and dropping a kiss on Hank's cheek. "I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up."

Beth walked up the stairs and entered the house with Joanne, so she could get her purse.

"What do you know about Johnny kissing this girl?" Beth asked, in a hushed whisper.

"Just what Roy's told me. They met the day they were promoted to Captain, at the beach. They spent the day together and Johnny kissed her goodnight. He said he could keep the relationship platonic, but I don't know. He's barely dated since getting promoted. He's not at the hospital anymore to meet any new women, he spends extra time working with Roy and his paramedic Pat, and this girl, Katrina, on improving their skills. I think the promotion really changed Johnny's lifestyle and maybe he's wishing he was a bit more settled."

"Does this girl like Johnny?" Beth asked as she and Joanne moved to her car.

Joanne shrugged. "I don't know. I've never met her, but I think I need to drop a hint to Roy that I want to."

"She's working with Roy right now, how do you feel about him working with a woman?" Beth asked, as she started the car.

"I don't mind so much because she's not his partner. If he was still a paramedic, I wouldn't want them teamed up," Joanne said.

"Worried about the bond that forms between partners?" Beth asked.

"No, nothing like that. I trust Roy, we have a good relationship; and I don't think this girl would go through all the stuff she's going through if she wasn't dead serious about doing this job. I don't think I'd want to trust a woman to get him out of a building if something were to go wrong. I'm not sure a woman can do the job," Joanne admitted.

Beth thought about it for a few minutes. "I agree. I don't think I'd want her backing up Hank either. I just don't know if I could sleep at night, if I thought a woman was responsible for keeping him safe. I know how much stronger Hank is than I am. I don't think I could do what he does. How can she?"

E

"Alright, John, what's going on? Why were you holding Katrina's hand?" Hank asked as the guys settled down to eat.

"I wasn't holding her hand," Johnny protested.

"It certainly looked like you were," Marco said.

Johnny sighed and pushed away from the table. The others stopped eating and looked up as he paced on the small deck. Johnny ran both hands through his hair. "Nothin's goin' on. But, I'd be lying if I said the attraction I felt that first day at the beach wasn't still there."

"What first day?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, Gage, start at the beginning," Chet said.

Johnny moved back over to the table and sat down. "I met Katrina right after our promotion ceremony. Roy was having a private family celebration; I couldn't arrange a date for the evening. I don't know, I guess I was just feeling a bit down," Johnny said.

"Shut up, Chet," Marco, Roy and Captain Stanley said in unison, as Chet started to open his mouth.

"What?" Chet asked, innocently. "I was just gonna say I could understand."

"Yeh, right," Roy rolled his eyes.

"Go on, Johnny," Marco said.

"I went to this little beach cove and Katrina was there. We spent the day together. When it was getting dark and time to go, I gave her a kiss good-night. It wasn't anything big, but it was real nice, ya know."

"And you didn't see her again until she started at the station?" Marco asked.

"Sort of," Johnny said.

"What d'ya mean, sorta?" Chet asked.

"When I found out Katrina was a fire fighter and going to be assigned to my station," Johnny started and then hesitated. Saying it out loud, made it sound bad. "I went to the beach cove again the day of the academy graduation. I knew Chief McConnike would've told Katrina she was going to be working with me as her Captain and I knew she'd go to the cove to see me."

"How did you know that?" Captain Stanley asked.

Johnny shrugged, "I don't know."

"Did you kiss again?" Chet asked.

"No, Chet, I did NOT kiss her again. By then I knew she was going to be working with me. I'd already told the Chief we could keep the relationship platonic. I wanted to find out who she thought had been attacking her at the academy? I wanted to know if I needed to be worried about Kory being her partner. But, she wouldn't tell me anything."

"Because you're worried about her?" Marco asked.

"Of course, I am. She works for me and someone is trying to hurt her. This job is dangerous enough without someone intentionally trying to get her hurt. I need to protect her," Johnny said.

"Johnny, you've got to call Chief McConnike and request he transfer Katrina. You're playing a dangerous game." Captain Stanley said.

"Actually, maybe he doesn't," Roy said, looking over at Johnny.

"Yes, Roy, he does," Captain Stanley said, raising one eyebrow.

"Hear me out. Katrina filled in at my station yesterday. She's going to fill in on our next shift. If she's working okay with the team, maybe I can request for Katrina to get transferred to my station and Johnny wouldn't have to do it," Roy reasoned.

"Roy that'd be great," Johnny said, his face lighting up at the thought.

"That would certainly take care of the problem," Marco agreed.

"Does that mean you're gonna try to date her?" Chet asked Johnny.

"Chet," Captain Stanley said, his tone exasperated.

"What?" It's a reasonable question," Chet countered. All the guys turned to look at Johnny.

Johnny just smiled and took a big bite of his hamburger.

E

Katrina firmly planted her hands and feet in the sand and arched her back, stretching her back muscles. Her rib cage ached slightly with the movement, but she knew she had to get the stiffness out of her joints before she went back on shift with Station 101 the next day. It would be her last day with them before Josh returned. Or it was supposed to me. Rumors flying around still had Josh refusing to work with Pat.

Katrina brought her hands closer to her body and grasped her ankles, feeling the pull in her hamstrings. She slowly lifted her body, reaching for the sky and elongating her spine as she reached up as far as she could. She drew in a deep breath and held it. She quickly exhaled at the sound of a soft thud. Her eyes flew open and she saw the last few inches of a rope laying on the ground, not too far from her own rope. Her heart rate started to accelerate, she looked up and watched as Johnny gracefully descended the rope.

Katrina pulled herself up on to a nearby rock and crossed her legs.

Johnny turned around when he reached the bottom and gave her a big smile. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit stiff, but I'll live," Katrina answered honestly.

Johnny moved over to stand directly in front of her. "Any bruising?" He let his eyes sweep over her body.

Katrina felt a little shiver and wasn't sure if it was from the slight breeze coming off the water, or from watching his dark eyes take in every inch of her with his observant gaze.

"None that I can show you," Katrina quipped.

Johnny gave her a wicked smile, "At least not today."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Roy's gonna ask Chief McConnike to transfer you to his station," Johnny said, proud of the arrangement they'd made.

"What? Why?" Katrina said, jumping off the rock.

"Because Josh is still refusing to work with Pat and you'll work with him. Plus, none of the people potentially causing your injuries are working at Station 101; you'll be safe there," Johnny said.

Katrina started to open her mouth in protest, but stopped. She thought about it for a few seconds and it actually seemed like a pretty good idea. She could work with Pat, and while they both suffered some of the same deficiencies, they could openly work together to learn how to be an effective team. If they kept training with Captain DeSoto and Captain Gage, they'd only get better. Maybe this would be a good solution after all. The guys at Station 101 had all been really nice to her; a huge improvement over the hostility she'd been receiving every shift at Station 36.

Plus, she couldn't deny she was still very attracted to Johnny. If he wasn't her Captain anymore, Katrina let the thought wander briefly through her mind as she locked eyes with Johnny. He was looking intently at her, hoping she would see the benefit of this move. When their eyes met he could see the attraction in her eyes and that she wasn't just thinking about the work benefits to her being moved out of his station.

He took a step forward, placing his hands on her waist. "I was thinking the same thing," he said huskily, knowing he shouldn't touch her, yet unable to resist as she sat there in a skimpy bikini looking at him with longing in her eyes.

Katrina could feel weeks of tension start to slip away as she imagined working at a station where the guys didn't hate her, where she didn't have to always be on guard for someone trying to hurt her. The feeling was one of almost giddiness. Katrina began to feel carefree excitement; she might actually get everything she ever wanted. A career that she loved, and maybe the chance at a relationship with a man she was definitely attracted to.

Katrina smiled and moved closer to Johnny, his arms tightening around her waist to pull her in a closer embrace. "It's not official yet," Johnny said, running a hand through her hair, and slowly letting his fingers caress down her back, her bare skin soft beneath his fingers.

"When was Captain DeSoto going to call the Chief?" Katrina asked, her voice barely a whisper. She reached up and brushed back a piece of hair from Johnny's forehead. She knew she was behaving recklessly, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She felt so safe and free in this spot, in this moment.

Johnny tilted his wrist to look at his watch. "He's probably on the phone with him right now."

"So my transfer may already be approved and I no longer work for you," Katrina said, letting her fingers disappear into his thick dark hair.

"Kat," Johnny moaned her name as she pressed against him and ran her nails along the back of his neck. He knew he should pull away; the transfer wasn't official yet, but he couldn't think of any reason why Chief McConnike wouldn't approve it. He let his eyes trail down her face to her lips. Their first kiss had been good; he knew the next one would be amazing.

E

"Roy, I just don't think it's a good idea," Chief McConnike said again. "Katrina and Pat have very similar deficiencies from what I've heard. Neither one is very good at climbing and rope work; Pat is lacking in upper body strength and by the sheer virtue of being a woman Katrina is going to be weaker in that area. No, no a transfer from Station 36 to your Station to team with Pat is not a good idea. Katrina will stay with Station 36 under the leadership of Gage."

"Chief," Roy started.

"I know, Roy, you think she's safer at your station; but she's gonna have to face the differing views of having a woman in the department head on; helping her hide isn't doing her an ounce of good in the long run."

Roy rolled his eyes, glad he was having this conversation over the phone. He couldn't understand why Chief McConnike was being so unreasonable. Roy seriously doubted any normal person would consider what Katrina had been through to simply be differing views.

"I'll talk to Josh and we'll get him back in the saddle at Station 101; don't you worry," Chief McConnike assured him.

Great, Roy thought, if Josh didn't hate Pat before he certainly would now. What had been a difficult situation before was about to get even worse.

"If you say so, Chief," Roy said, unable to stop the sigh that escaped his lips.

"I say so," Chief McConnike said, ending the phone call.


	16. Chapter 16

"Kat," Johnny moaned her name as she pressed against him and ran her nails along the back of his neck. He knew he should pull away; the transfer wasn't official yet, but he couldn't think of any reason why Chief McConnike wouldn't approve it. He let his eyes trail down her face to her lips. Their first kiss had been good; he knew the next one would be amazing.

Kat tilted her head as Johnny forced out an exasperated breath and looked toward the sky. Kat dropped her arms from around his neck, wrapping them around her waist as Johnny took a step back and she lost the warmth of his body against hers.

"Kat," Johnny said hesitantly.

"I know," Kat shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me."

"We like each other," Johnny said, lifting his hand to brush away a piece of hair from her face. He let his finger brush against her cheek, as he pushed the hair back.

Kat smiled at him. "Do you think that's it, or are is it because we know a relationship is forbidden?"

Johnny thought about it for a minute. "I don't know about you, but I find the forbidden part, frustrating and nothing more. I like you Kat. I like your passion for helping people, your strength, your tenacity," Johnny let his eyes wander over her body and gave her a crooked grin, "and your body."

Katrina laughed. "Yours isn't so bad either. I like your dedication, your caring, how smart you are and your energy. I'd really like to get to know you better Johnny. But, I don't want to jeopardize my chance to be a paramedic either. We can wait until my transfer is official."

"Which will probably be just a matter of a couple of days," Johnny smiled.

"Wanna watch me climb back up and give me any pointers for improvement when we get to the top?" Katrina asked, moving over to her rope.

"Absolutely," Johnny shielded his eyes so he could keep an eye on her form as she moved up the rope. He quickly joined her. "You've improved a lot," he said.

"Thanks. I really do appreciate you and Captain DeSoto taking the time to work with me."

"That's part of our job, Kat. But, I'm enjoying the time too." Johnny said, as he pulled up both ropes and moved over to put Katrina's in her car.

"I guess I'll see you around," Katrina said, leaning against her car and looking over at Johnny.

He dropped his rope in the back of his Rover and walked over near her. "Hopefully off-duty because you don't work for me anymore," Johnny said, running a finger slowly down her arm.

"I hope so," Kat said quietly. Johnny opened her car door and she got in. He closed the door and she drove off. He stood there for a few seconds watching her car disappear in the distance. He moved toward the Rover. He wanted to get home and call Roy. He couldn't wait to hear that Katrina didn't work for him anymore.

E

"What do ya mean, Chief McConnike refused the transfer?" Johnny said, incredulously.

"He said she needed to face the differing views of having a woman in the department head on," Roy explained.

"Differing views, are you kidding me?" Johnny scoffed.

"That's what he said," Roy said.

"How can he possibly call what's been happening differing views," Johnny felt his anger starting to boil. He forced himself to unclench his fist. He'd been so sure that Chief McConnike would let Katrina transfer to Roy's station. He thought back to earlier that day on the beach cove. The way he'd held Katrina, how closed they'd come to sharing another kiss. And now she still worked for him.

"Johnny, did you hear what I said," Roy raised his voice to get Johnny's attention.

"What, uh, sorry, Roy, I guess I got lost in my own thoughts, what did you say?"

"I said I had no idea what I was going to do with Pat and Josh. Josh is still saying he won't work with Pat," Roy repeated.

"What did Chief McConnike say to that?"

"That he'd handle it."

"Maybe Josh will refuse and he'll still have to transfer Katrina," Johnny said, more to himself than to Roy.

"Johnny, did something else happen between you and Katrina?" Roy asked, getting a feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I saw her today, at the beach cove again," Johnny said quietly.

Roy closed his eyes. "Johnny, tell me nothing happened."

"Nothing happened," Johnny said, "not really anyway."

"Do I want to know what "not really" entails?"

"It's better you don't," Johnny said.

"John," Roy started.

"I know. I need to stay away from her," Johnny said sadly.

"I think you need to talk to Chief McConnike. Tell him that you can't keep the relationship with Katrina platonic and that you'd prefer she be transferred to another station," Roy advised.

"I can't do that," Johnny protested.

"You can't keep this up; you're gonna get yourself in trouble. Talk to Captain Stanley, I bet he can give you some ideas on how to address this with the Chief."

"I'll give him a call," Johnny said.

"Sooner rather than later," Roy cautioned.

"Okay, okay."

E

"Good morning, Captain DeSoto," Katrina greeted Roy as she entered Station 101.

"Good morning, Katrina. Did you enjoy your days off?" Roy said, wondering if she'd give him any indication of her meeting with Johnny.

"I did, how about you?" Katrina said, refusing to take the bait.

Roy looked at her for a few seconds. "Not really. I was hoping to get Chief McConnike to agree to transfer you here permanently to work with Pat; but he refused."

Roy watched Katrina's smile fade and her eyes darken. "He did," she said, her voice giving away her sense of grief at the news.

Roy put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, he did." Roy said.

Katrina met Roy's blue eyes and instantly knew he and Johnny were good enough friends that Roy knew about yesterday. "Captain DeSoto," she said hesitantly, taking a step back.

"Relax, Katrina. I'm not holding anything against you, or Johnny. But, given the fact he is still your Captain, you need to keep your distance," Roy said, lowering his voice.

"Hey, Katrina, how were your days off?" Pat asked, coming into the kitchen. He looked briefly at her and Captain DeSoto and wondered if he'd just interrupted something.

"Hi, Pat," Katrina said, moving away from Roy. "My days off were okay. How about yours?"

"I got a chance to finish reading this book I've been reading for several weeks on the Austro-Prussian War, also called the Seven Weeks' War. Have you ever read it?" Pat said, taking down a cup to make tea.

Katrina blinked and shook her head. "Uh, no, no, I've never read a book on the Austro-Prussian War."

"It was really interesting. Prussia went up against Austria, Bavaria, Saxony, Hanover and some smaller German states. I don't want to spoil it for you, if you're gonna read it; but Prussia had challenged Austria back in 1850, and completely failed. But under the leadership…," Pat's words trailed off as the klaxons sounded calling out the Station to an automobile accident.

Katrina moved to the driver's side; taking her cue from Pat who walked to the passenger side of the squad. She pulled out and led the way to the scene, the engine following right behind them. Katrina went onto the shoulder and pulled past several cars that were part of the collision.

"I count 22 cars," Pat said, standing on the floorboard of the squad and looking over it to get a better view of the wreckage.

Katrina started opening the side compartment and pulling out equipment.

"Station 36 is at the other end of the collision. Katrina and Pat, start triaging patients on this end and work your way toward Station 36. Station 96 is also responding. Their paramedics will join up with you as soon as they arrive," Roy said, surveying the scene.

Katrina and Pat quickly began walking from car to car. The people in the cars at the end of the accident had minor cuts and bruises, but as they moved their way through the wreckage the injuries worsened. It started with a people who were going to need stitches, some broken bones and a few people with probably concussions. The goal was to treat the most seriously injured victims first and then work their way down to the most minor injuries.

Katrina spent a few seconds with each person, reassuring them that they were okay and she would be back to look at them. "I know it hurts, ma'am," Katrina was saying to an elderly woman as she looked at her arm, that was probably broken. "We have a lot of injured people and I need to go check and see if anyone is more seriously injured; but I promise, I'll be back soon."

"Good Lord, Katrina, you don't need to explain everything to every injured person. You need to get moving and check all the victims," Kory Marks said, as he got within hearing distance of Katrina and Pat.

Katrina just looked over at him and gave the older woman a reassuring smile as she moved to the next car. "Pat, I'm gonna check that yellow wagon over there," Katrina said, pointing to a car just off to their left.

"Okay."

Katrina had to climb over the hood of one car to get access to the yellow wagon. "Pat," she called out. "I'm gonna need help over here."

Katrina quickly grabbed gauze from the case she was carrying and applied pressure to the man's neck, careful not to move the metal piece that was stuck in his neck. From the amount of blood, she was willing to bet the metal fragment had penetrated the juggler vein.

"Not gonna be able to; I've got a cardiac arrest over here," Pat called. Katrina could vaguely see him pulling a body out of a car.

She picked up the H-T. "Squad 101, I'm gonna need paramedic assistance; I've got a man with a pierced juggler and Pat has a cardiac arrest."

"10-4, Squad 36, can you assist?" Captain DeSoto responded.

"Negative, we've got severe injuries as well," Kory's voice came across the line.

"I'm available, and on my way to assist, Squad 101," Johnny's voice came across the H-T.

Katrina squeezed her way into the car to get a better angel. She was definitely going to need a second pair of hands to wrap this metal fragment so it couldn't move and try to stop the bleeding. Not to mention being able to get the guy out of the car.

"Whatdya got?" Johnny asked, kneeling down by the door of the car. His eyes quickly taking in the amount of blood, the metal fragment and the way Katrina had positioned herself in the car so she could apply pressure to the wound.

"Do you have a free hand that can hold that metal fragment while I wrap his wound and we try to get him out of the car?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah," Katrina said, carefully gripping the metal fragment while Johnny started packing the area with gauze and wrapping the wound. They worked together quickly and quietly.

"Do you need a hand?" Russ stuck his head in next to Johnny.

"We're gonna need help getting him out of the car," Johnny said. "If Katrina can keep the metal fragment from moving and keep pressure on that wound, you and I can get him positioned on the backboard and move him out of the car."

Russ nodded and quickly left to get a backboard. It was several more minutes of slow movements to secure the man to the backboard and get him out of the car. Katrina, Johnny and Russ worked together slowly inching out of the car, Katrina completely focused on not moving the metal fragment.

The paramedics from the three squads quickly worked to secure multiple victims. They sent as many in the ambulances without paramedics as they could and at least two victims per ambulance with the paramedics on scene. Katrina rode in with the man with the metal fragment in his neck and Pat's cardiac arrest. Pat would follow later with two more victims.

Katrina was leaning against the nurse's station drinking a cup of coffee when Russ approached her.

"How are your victims?" He asked.

"The cardiac arrest has been moved up to the ICU, but it looks like he'll make it. The guy with the metal fragment is already in surgery."

"So you're working with Pat Green, huh? I've heard quite a few stories about him," Russ said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Katrina shrugged. "He's a nice enough guy."

Russ narrowed his eyes. "Nice doesn't cut it in this business. He could've caused his partner some pretty serious injuries because he couldn't do the job."

Katrina looked up at Russ wondering if he was taking a shot at her, but his attention was already on Kory, her partner from Station 36 who had just exited Treatment room 2. "Hey, Kory," Russ called out.

Kory looked between Russ and Katrina and momentarily looked like he wasn't going to come over, but he eventually moved in their direction; pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Can you believe that was caused by a dog running onto the freeway?" Kory said.

"Seriously? That was the cause? Some people are just so stupid," Russ said.

"Why? Because they tried not to hit a puppy dog?" Katrina asked.

Kory rolled his eyes. "It's a lot of seriously injured people for one dog," Russ said.

"Can someone please help me?" A very pregnant woman called out, leaning against the wall as a contraction hit.

Katrina quickly moved to get a wheelchair and assist the woman.

"I'm gonna grab some supplies," Kory said, moving down the hall.

Katrina came back to the nursing station a few minutes later. Kory was signing the log form indicating the supplies he was taking.

"Where's Russ?" She asked.

"His paramedics were ready to go, so he left," Kory said, looking down the hall. "It appears my ride is here too." He grabbed his box of supplies and headed toward Marco Lopez, who was still covering until they hired someone to replace Scott. Katrina raised her hand and Marco gave her a quick wave. The paramedic subbing with Kory joined them in the hall and they moved toward the exit.

Katrina picked up her coffee cup, it was a lot fuller than she remembered. She briefly wondered if Russ or Kory had actually poured her some more coffee. Nah, she thought as she took several quick swallows of the now lukewarm liquid. Katrina made a face and looked at the cup again. It tasted weird; and slightly burned her throat, even though the temperature was lukewarm.

"Katrina, you ready?" Katrina looked up to see Pat standing in the hall with Jeff, who must have been sent to come get them.

Katrina looked at the coffee cup one more time. "Sure," she said, moving down the hall toward the exit.

E

Sitting in the middle of the squad Katrina had to close her eyes, the fast moving scenery making her feel nauseated. Her head was beginning to throb and she felt like she was passing out. She was relieved when Jeff started backing the squad into the bay. She really needed to lay down for a minute.

Katrina followed Pat out of the Squad and had to place her hand against the squad as she struggled to walk. She felt like the room was spinning. Katrina placed her hand on her stomach and tried to move toward the restroom, but realizing she wasn't going to make it moved over the garbage can where she started to vomit.

"Katrina, are you okay?" Pat asked.

Roy came around the corner from the kitchen followed by Chuck. Katrina dropped to her knees and then laid down on the floor, resting her head against the cool surface.

"Katrina, are you okay?" Pat asked again, kneeling down beside her.

Katrina pulled her knees as her stomach cramped. Katrina just moaned and then tried to move to get to the trash can as she began to heave again.

"Jeff, call it in and get me an ambulance," Roy ordered.

Jeff quickly moved to the microphone and called in a still alarm.

"Katrina, did you eat anything?" Roy asked, while Pat started taking her vitals.

Katrina started to shake her head, but stopped. "The coffee tasted weird. It was lukewarm, but it burnt my throat."

"Where? Where'd you drink the coffee?" Roy asked.

"Rampart," Katrina said, as she moaned and pulled her legs in again as her stomach convulsed.

Once Katrina was loaded in the ambulance with Pat, Roy moved to his office to call Rampart. Dixie answered on the first ring.

"Rampart Emergency," she said.

"Hey, Dixie, it's Roy. Have you had any complaints about the coffee today?"

"We always have complaints about the coffee, Roy. You're gonna have to be more specific."

"Dix, I'm serious. Katrina is on her way to Rampart in an ambulance with vomiting, severe stomach pains, feeling dizzy, and fatigued. She said she was having coffee at the nurse's station and it tasted bad, kinda burnt her throat when she drank it."

Dixie let her eyes drop to the garbage can and the empty bottle of rubbing alcohol. She had just been talking about it with Joe and Kel a few minutes ago. She could have sworn there was still almost 8 ounces left in that bottle a little bit ago, but now it was empty and in the trash and no one had admitted to using it. Dixie looked at the three coffee cups sitting on the back counter that hadn't been washed yet.

"Hold on, Roy," Dixie put the phone down and moved to the back counter. She picked up the first cup and sniffed it. Coffee. She picked up the second cup, moving it a bit closer to her nose. "Eww," Dixie pulled her nose away as the strong odor of alcohol hit her. "Kel," Dixie called out.

"What's up, Dixie?" Dr. Brackett asked, walking over to the nurse.

"I think someone spiked Katrina's coffee with the rubbing alcohol," Dixie said, handing him the cup.

Dr. Brackett took a whiff and quickly pulled the cup away from his face. "Are you sure it's Katrina's?"

"Roy's on the phone, she's on her way by ambulance, vomiting, severe stomach pain, dizzy, fatigued."

"How much did you say was left in that bottle?" Dr. Brackett asked, picking up the container out of the trash.

"About 8 ounces," Dixie said with a frown.

"At her weight, that's a highly toxic level. Get ready to set up for dialysis; we've got to get that poison out of her system."

"I'll set up in treatment room 3," Dixie said, starting to move in that direction.

"Dixie, when you're done, call the police. Someone had to intentionally pour that in her drink," Dr. Brackett picked up the phone to talk to Roy.

"Roy, it's Dr. Brackett. I think we know what happened to your paramedic. It appears someone poured about 8 ounces of rubbing alcohol into her coffee."

"Are you kidding me? That's a toxic amount at her weight," Roy said, shocked at what Dr. Brackett had just told him.

"We're getting ready to start dialysis as soon as she gets here and will keep her hydrated. We're also gonna call the police to start an investigation."

"I'll be by in the morning with Johnny, as soon as we get off shift," Roy said. He disconnected the call and put his head down briefly. He hoped Johnny could stay cool until the end of the shift tomorrow.

E

"Lieutenant Crockett, are you here for Katrina?" Johnny asked, walking up to the man.

"Yes, yes, I am."

"Have you been able to find out what happened?" Roy asked.

"From what I've been able to piece together, Katrina was having coffee at the nurse's station when Russ joined her. Kory joined them a few minutes later. Katrina was called away to help a pregnant woman and both Russ and Kory were still at the nurse's station. When Katrina got there, only Kory remained. But, Dixie remembered seeing Kory go get supplies, so at some point both Russ and Kory were alone at the nurse's station and perhaps they were both gone at one point, meaning anyone could have poured the rubbing alcohol into her coffee. I've been waiting for both Russ and Kory to get off shift so I can talk to each one of them."

"But, there's a good chance Russ or Kory intentionally poisoned her," Roy summed up.

"Given the fact they were both at the academy, both at the fire where she got hurt and both here when she was poisoned, I'll say," Johnny agreed. "What's worse, I just found out last night that Russ is going to take Scott's place as a linesman at my station."

"Are you telling me that both Russ and Kory are working at your station with Katrina?" Lieutenant Crockett asked.

"Yup," Johnny said, flopping down into a chair and letting his head drop into his hands.


	17. Chapter 17

Johnny knocked on the door to Katrina's hospital room, paused and then slowly pushed open the door. Katrina lay in the hospital bed, IVs hooked up to her arm and the machine filtering her blood whirling along beside her.

Roy had told Johnny he would be up in a few minutes. For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. Johnny moved and sat down on the edge of the bed, lightly taking Katrina's hand, not caring if it was appropriate or not. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Katrina met his eyes and said nothing; she had no idea what to say. Her mind and emotions were going in a million different directions. Whether it had been Kory or Russ that poured that rubbing alcohol into her coffee, they knew that level of isopropyl alcohol would be toxic for her. It wasn't a vague phantom attacking her anymore. She knew one of these two men hated her enough they wanted to seriously hurt her. Her mind was having trouble comprehending that information.

Physically she was miserable, her stomach ached unbelievably bad, her throat felt raw and she had a miserable headache. It was all she could do to not cry and Johnny sitting on her hospital bed, gently holding her hand, those brown eyes looking deep into her soul; she could barely keep her composure.

Johnny saw the tears glistening in her eyes. "Kat," he let his hand slide down her hair, and brushed away the one tear that escaped with his thumb.

Katrina swallowed hard and broke eye contact, looking toward the wall. "I don't know what to say" she said honestly.

Johnny stood up and paced across the room. "Well, I do," he said. "I'm gonna call Chief McConnike this afternoon and tell him I can't work with you."

"You can't do that," Katrina protested. "It's career suicide."

"And if I don't?" Johnny turned back to face Katrina. "You're still assigned to my station, with Russ and Kory. They have access to your food, to you when your asleep, and in burning buildings. I'm not handing them the perfect opportunity to kill you."

"No, I won't let you do it," Katrina said, crossing her arms.

"I wasn't asking your permission," Johnny retorted.

"Johnny, you can't, you've worked too hard to get where you are." Katrina pleaded with him.

Johnny moved back to the edge of her bed, he gripped her upper arms. "What do you want me to do, Kat? What? Even if I didn't care about you I couldn't stand by and do nothing while some jerk tried to hurt you; but I do care about you Kat. I can't let you stay assigned to my station with Russ and Kory. I can't."

"I can't let you throw away your career. I'll tell Chief McConnike I can't work with you," Katrina said.

"They'd fire you," Johnny said, matter-of-factly.

"I'll tell him nothing's happened, but that I can't help thinking about our kiss and I don't think I should stay working for you."

Johnny shook his head, "No. I'll go to the Chief."

"Johnny, I don't want to fight about this; I'm going to the Chief."

"I'm not gonna fight about this either. I'm going to the Chief."

"Ugh," Katrina wrapped her arms around her stomach and pressed in as a new wave of pain swept over her. "I am too sick to fight with you, please don't do this."

Johnny placed a hand on her arm. "I'm not letting you throw away everything you've worked so hard for, Kat. You've endeared horrible treatment to get this far. If you go to the Chief, he'll fire you Kat. I'll get an official reprimand, but I probably won't even be demoted."

"Neither of you are going to the Chief," Captain Stanley said from the doorway. Roy was standing right behind him.

"Cap, I can't let her work with Russ and Kory," Johnny said.

"I agree," Captain Stanley said crossing the room. "Roy filled me in. I am so sorry, Katrina, that you're being treated this way. But, if either of you go to Chief McConnike, it's gonna be a strike against you. And Johnny's right, he'd fire you Katrina. I'm gonna talk to Chief McConnike. In fact, I already tried to call him, but his wife told me he's at a conference in San Francisco. He won't be back until Monday. But, when he gets back, I'll talk to him and get Katrina transferred to either Roy's station or with me at 51."

"Cap, that's great, but do you really think you can make him transfer her? He already told me no," Roy said.

Cap moved to the window and looked out at the parking lot for a few minutes, trying to make a decision. He turned to face the three of them. "What I'm about to tell you never leaves this room, do you understand me?" Captain Stanley said, his deep voice caring the authority that he wore like a second skin.

"Yes, sir," they all responded.

"Johnny and Roy know that when I was a fairly new linesman Chief McConnike was my Captain and that at some point during that assignment I set his hat on fire. But no one, not even the guys who were at the station with me know why I did it."

Captain Stanley ran a hand over his face. No one said a word, Katrina forced herself to take a breath, realizing she was holding her breath.

"I had been at the station a few months when a new cadet joined the station as my linesman. Leroy was the first black fireman for LA County. We knew he was going through training and had heard some of the same things we heard about you Kat. He can't do the job, the department was making a huge mistake, he was gonna get men killed. But, the man I met was strong, fast, and could read a fire better than anyone I've ever met to this day. He knew how a fired breathed, it was like he was one step ahead of the beast. Leroy was distance, who could blame him with the way he was treated, but when you got to know him, he had this dry sense of humor that cracked me up."

Captain Stanley moved over to a chair in the room, sitting down and crossing his long legs. He steepled his hands under his chin and looked over the group. "Racial tensions were high in the area, and there were several incidents with crosses being burned in yards of black families. We were on duty when the klaxons sounded at 3:00 AM. The address was Leroy's house. The engine raced to the scene where we found a large cross burning in the front yard. The wind had blown the embers to the roof of the house and the house was involved. Thankfully, Leroy's family had managed to get out."

Captain Stanley grew quiet and his eyes took on a distant look as he relived a scene he would rather forget. "Chief McConnike, Captain McConnike back then, had Leroy and I pull a 2 ½ line and start working on watering down the neighboring houses so the fire didn't spread. I protested, told him that Leroy's house was salvageable. He put on his hat and asked me who the Captain was? We could have saved Leroy's house, there would have been damage to the roof, but it wasn't that bad yet. The neighboring houses were both owned by white families," Captain Stanley said, his voice filled with the disgust he still felt after all of these years.

"Leroy could do nothing but protect other people's houses while he watched a cross burn in his yard and his own house go up in flames. His Captain, standing there, letting it happen, condoning it with his own actions," Captain Stanley stood up and paced the length of the room, his anger still as fresh as the day it happened.

"We got back to the Station and I tried to talk to Leroy, but he just looked at me. This defeated look in his eyes; the same look I saw in your eyes Katrina, when I came in the room tonight. I was so angry at Captain McConnike, but what could I do? I'd been in the fire department for a few months, I was no one. The anger, the unfairness of the situation was unbearable. I grabbed the Captain's hat, went out into the parking lot and torched that damn hat," Captain Stanley sighed and met Katrina's eyes. "Leroy left just a few weeks later. I couldn't stop what happened to him, but I can stop history from repeating itself with you Katrina. I'm not a lowly boot now and I won't let Chief McConnike get away with this again."

"What do you need us to do, Cap?" Roy asked, being the first to find his voice.

"Keep her safe until I can talk to Chief McConnike early next week," Captain Stanley said, still watching Katrina.

"What do you need me to do?" Katrina asked, knowing he was looking for something from her.

"Don't give up," Captain Stanley said, putting his hand on her shoulder. His eyes locked with hers and Katrina swore she felt like he was pouring his energy and strength into her.

Katrina nodded, unable to speak.

"Gage, I want to see you outside for a minute," Captain Stanley said, there wasn't any question of it being an order in the tone of voice used.

"Yes, sir," Johnny said, resisting the urge to salute him.

Captain Stanley led Johnny out in to the hallway. "John, you're gonna have a shift with Katrina, Russ and Kory before I manage to talk to Chief McConnike, you're gonna have to keep an eye on them. Lieutenant Crockett is going to question both of them before that shift so whichever one is doing this is either going to be on his best behavior hoping not to get caught, or desperate to get rid of her before he's caught."

"I know."

"Be careful, John. I'll get Katrina transferred, but how you feel about her is written all over your face. You don't want rumors of impropriety swirling around. You've got a promising career ahead of you. Just keep your distance a little bit longer."

"It's not easy, Cap. Especially after things like this. I just want to take her in my arms and promise her she'll be safe."

Captain Stanley put his hand on Johnny's shoulder. "It's tough being a grown-up."

Johnny gave a short laugh. "Thanks, Cap."

E

Johnny sat at the kitchen table drinking his third cup of coffee. He'd gotten to the station an hour early, A shift was on a run and the station had been empty. He was waiting for his men to get in. Ken came in, and leaned against the door frame; looking at his Captain. "Today's our first day with a full permanent crew again," he said.

"Yeah," Johnny replied, looking in his coffee cup.

"Is the rumor true?" Ken asked.

"What?" Johnny looked up from his coffee cup.

"Katrina. Rumors are flying that someone intentionally put isopropyl alcohol in her coffee; enough to cause serious complications and even death; and that Russ and Kory are likely suspects," Ken stopped talking when Kevin walked up behind him.

"Go get changed," Johnny got up and headed toward his office.

Johnny pressed his fingers to his temples. He'd had vague headache for days; ever since Lieutenant Crockett had told him it was probable that Russ or Kory had poisoned Katrina's coffee; knowing that 8 ounces of rubbing alcohol would be toxic for her. They couldn't have known that because Katrina didn't drink, the alcohol affects would hit her quickly and that allowed them to start treatment before there was any permanent damage.

Now, she would be working this shift with both men. Johnny closed his eyes. "Katrina, how do I keep you safe?" Johnny whispered.

"I'll help you have her back."

Johnny looked up, surprised by the sound of Ken's voice. "So the rumors are true?"

"Come in and close the door," Johnny said. "Lieutenant Crockett called me yesterday. He questioned both Russ and Kory. Katrina left her coffee cup on the nurse's station and went to help a pregnant woman. Kory left a few seconds later to get supplies. When he got back, Russ was still there. Russ left to go back to his station and Kory stayed at the nurse's station until Katrina returned. It had to be one of them. Russ says the rubbing alcohol was still sitting on the nurse's station when he left. Kory says he doesn't ever remember seeing it, but is sure it wasn't there when he came back with the supplies because he put the box on the counter. Both of them is insisting it had to be the other one."

"How can the department leave her here, knowing that information?" Ken asked, astounded at what Johnny just said.

Johnny thought about how much he wanted to say. "Chief McConnike is in San Francisco at a conference. I don't know that he has all the relevant information."

"Oh come on, Captain Gage. You and I both know that they would have contacted him at the conference about this. He could have had her moved already."

"Let's go get ready for roll call," Johnny said, standing up and heading out the door. Russ, Kory, Katrina and Kevin were already standing in formation.

Johnny took his place in front of his crew. He looked each one of them over. Kevin looked uncomfortable, but also a bit clueless. He suspected something was going on, but obviously had no idea what. Katrina looked pale and Johnny could tell she'd lost some weight over the last few days. Russ stood there, looking straight ahead, his expression neutral. Kory, on the other hand, was watching every move Johnny made and was obviously desperate to say something.

Johnny ran through the list of announcements, watching Kory shift his weight constantly in a one-person dance. If he situation hadn't been so serious, Johnny would have probably laughed, Kory looked like he was about to wet his pants.

As soon as Johnny had run through all the announcements and plans for the day, Kory spoke up. "Captain Gage, can I see you in your office?"

Johnny looked briefly at Katrina. Ken moved over next to her, and put his hand on her shoulder. "C'mon Katrina, let's get some coffee."

"Let's go in my office," Johnny said.

"What is going on?" Kevin asked, watching Kory and Captain Gage disappear into the office and Ken escort Katrina to the kitchen, his arm draped over her shoulders.

Russ looked at him, and just shook his head. He headed toward the dorm.

"Captain Gage, I just want to tell you I did not hurt Katrina. I swear," Kory said, before Johnny even sat down.

"So your saying Russ did," Johnny asked, eyeing he man in front of him.

"Look, I don't want to believe that, but I know I didn't do it. You've got to believe me."

"So you're okay with a woman firefighter?" Johnny asked.

"Sure, Katrina's really good. She makes a great paramedic; I've got no problems with her."

"So the attitude you've had the last few shifts has just been an act?" Johnny said, remembering how Kory had said he understood Scott's position in not wanting to work with her.

"Look, I'm just trying to fit in to a new station, as the new boot, you know how it is," Kory said.

Johnny looked at Kory sitting in front of him, protesting the idea that he had poisoned Katrina. The line from Hamlet ran through Johnny's head, "methinks thou dost protest too much."

When Kory left his office, Johnny went in search of Russ. He found him out back testing the air canisters.

"Do you want a chance to plead your innocence," Johnny asked.

Russ looked up at him. "Would it do any good, Captain Gage? I talked to Lieutenant Crockett, I know that Kory was at the nursing station from the time I left until Katrina came back. I was there from when Katrina left to help the pregnant woman until Kory got back from getting supplies; meaning one of us had to be the one that put the rubbing alcohol into her coffee. I'm not a paramedic, but even I know that much rubbing alcohol is dangerous. Each one of us was alone with her coffee. I can tell you I didn't do it all day long, but it's my word against Kory's and you don't know either one of us well enough to even have a guess."

Johnny looked at Russ. He was right, he didn't know either one of them well enough to have any idea who to even suspect.

"Look, you want me to say something. Here's what I'll say. I wasn't crazy about Katrina being admitted to the fire academy, but she did a good job. I congratulated her when she graduated. But, I never went out of my way to make things easier on her either," Russ shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what else to tell ya."

Johnny turned his head as he klaxons sounded calling out the squad. His worst fear was coming true. Katrina was being called out with Kory and he wouldn't be around to watch her back. No one would be, the squad responded alone. Johnny watched as the squad pulled out of the bay feeling a pit in his stomach that remained until Katrina was back safely 45 minutes later.

The day slowly ticked by, each minute making Johnny more tense, waiting for something to happen. Someone had obviously filled in Kevin because he assumed the role of protector alongside Ken and when the squad and engine were both at the station one of them was always with her. This allowed Johnny to relax and not be hovering over her.

E

Johnny looked over the dorm room before crawling into his own bunk. Kevin and Ken had rearranged their bunks. Johnny was sleeping on one side of the room with Russ and Kory, and then Katrina, Kevin and Ken were on the other side of the room, Katrina's bunk in the middle of the two men. Kory had protested briefly, insisting again that he was innocent. Russ had merely climbed under the covers.

Johnny closed his eyes, but he could feel his ears straining to hear any sound of movement. He lay there thinking it would be less than 10 hours and the shift would be over. If Captain Stanley was right, this would be the last shift that Katrina worked in his station. He really hoped she would be transferred to Roy's station so they could have the same days off. Johnny smiled, thinking of what it would feel like to be free to follow up on his feelings for her. He knew he wanted their first date to be a picnic at the cove; a chance to follow-up on that first kiss.

Johnny groaned as the klaxons sounded calling out the Station to a factory fire. It was the paint factory near the shipyard. The crew immediately began to dress, listening as the tones continued to sound and multiple stations were called out.

"Sounds like a bad one," Ken said, assuming his place behind the wheel of the engine as Johnny climbed in beside him.

Johnny watched as the squad left the bay in front of them. "Figures, just 6 more hours," Johnny said, under his breath.

Captain Hookraider had point, Johnny and Roy approached him simultaneously. "DeSoto, send your linesman over to the far east side. Have your paramedics start in Section A and clear through C. Gage, have your paramedics start in D and go through F. Have your linesmen run a 2 ½ to the far west side."

"Captain Hookraider, my paramedic Pat and Johnny's paramedic Katrina work really good in tandem; where Josh and Pat struggle with their communication. With your permission I'd like to have Katrina go with Pat to Section A through C. I'll send Josh with Kory and Johnny's linesman," Roy spoke up.

Captain Hookraider looked at the two of them. "I've heard the rumors. Katrina's safer with your crew DeSoto, make the switch."

Johnny grinned at him. "Thank you, sir and thank you, pally."

"Anytime, junior," Roy slapped him on the back before moving over to Josh.

"Katrina, go join Station 101; you're gonna work this scene with Pat." Johnny ordered as he walked over to his crew. "Russ, Kevin, pull a 2 ½ over to the west side. Kory, you and 101s paramedic Josh will clear Sections D through F."

Josh quickly joined them and the men began to move into position to fight the fire.

The plant had been running a full shift when one of the large paint mixing machines malfunctioned and overheated causing an explosion that quickly spread flames and toxic smoke throughout that department. The flammable nature of paint continued to feed the fire and it was now ranging unchecked throughout the huge plant. Men were trapped in various areas as paint reached explosion temperatures and cans burst without flames even being in the area, rocking huge shelves and causing them to fall blocking exits.

Pat and Katrina had quickly been clearing areas with Jeff and Chuck. They were moving quickly to the next area when the call came over the handi-talkie. "This is H-T 36. A section of the roof in F caved in. We're trapped and need assistance."

Katrina could hear the panic in Kevin's voice and the roar of flames was obvious even across the H-T. "Let's go," she and Pat quickly started moving in that direction. Jeff and Chuck had to stay to battle the blaze in Section C.

Katrina and Pat came to a large amount of debris blocking their path. "They have to be behind this mess," Pat said.

Katrina grabbed the first beam and struggled to pull it away from the pile. Pat joined her and they were quickly clearing a path toward the trapped men. Finally, they could see the men, but they still couldn't get them out because of a large rack blocking their path.

"Hurry," Josh said, between coughs. "We're out of air."

Russ and Kory were down near the ground trying to breath, Kevin was leaning against the back wall and Katrina wasn't sure if he was still conscious. She and Pat grabbed the rack and tried to pull, but it wouldn't move. Josh, Russ and Kory tried to push from their side while Katrina and Pat pulled, but still it refused to budge.

"We need to go get help," Pat said, starting to move away.

Katrina looked at the flames running across the ceiling above them. "There isn't time. Maybe we can move it to the side." Katrina wedged herself between a side wall and the end of the rack. She pulled in her legs and placed her feet against the bottom of the rack, pushing as hard as she could with her legs. Pat, Russ, Josh and Kory tried to pull to the side as she kept using her legs to push. The rack slowly started inching to the side.

"That's enough," Russ called out. Pat and Katrina moved to get Kevin and pull him out of the factory.

The group got out to Squad 36, the men who had been trapped coughing heavily. Pat started getting each of them oxygen, while Katrina worked on getting vitals for Kevin who was starting to regain consciousness.

"It's nice of you to join us," she teased him.

"I guess you go to be a hero tonight, huh?" Kevin said, his voice raspy.

"Both of them did," Josh said looking at Pat.

Katrina felt like she was on top of the world. This was why she wanted to do this job. This is what made all the harassment worth it.

"I'd love to let everyone keep soaking up the good vibrations, but we've got a fire to put out," Johnny said, smiling at the group. "Pat, Katrina, get back in there and finish clearing F."

"Yes, Captain Gage."

"Russ, Josh, Kory, you ready to get back in there?"

"Just say where," Russ said.

"Russ, go over to section K and meet up with 24, see how you can help them. Josh and Kory, get over to J and I, split up and clear those sections. There isn't supposed to be any fire over there yet, but the smoke is heavy. Take your time and keep in touch with the H-Ts."

The three men began to move toward their respective areas. They passed Pat before they entered back into the factory.

"That was quick," Kory said, motioning to the victim over Pat's shoulder.

"There was another explosion. Several people are injured. Katrina went ahead to try to help get some of the people out."

Katrina moved closer to the center of the explosion area. Even through her turnout the heat was intense. Her eyes continually scanned the area looking for victims. She turned quickly convinced she had seen movement, but no one was there. Katrina shook her head and took another step forward. She wasn't sure how much closer she could get; she could feel the heat so intense that she knew she was pushing the limits of safety.

Suddenly she felt herself shoved against the rough cement wall, her helmet knocking forward and blocking her vision. She raised her hands to defend herself, but quickly felt both of her wrists being gripped by one larger hand and pulled down. Her helmet barely made a perceptible noise over the roar of the flames as it was tossed aside and her air mask was pulled down from her face.

She blinked from the sudden impact of hot air on her eyes. When her vision cleared she stared into familiar eyes. "It was you, all this time."


	18. Chapter 18

"Why wouldn't you just quit?" Russ hissed. "I didn't want to have to do this."

"Why do you hate me so much?" Katrina asked.

"You can't do this job!"

"I can do this job. I'm doing this job. I just saved you, didn't I?"

"One lucky rescue and you think you're a hero," Russ scoffed at her. "What is it with women not knowing their place? Why do you have to keep pushing for more?"

"What's wrong with wanting to do something other than raise kids, cook and clean?" Katrina asked.

Something in Russ snapped at her words. He shoved her hard against the wall. "Those kids need you! But, no, they're not enough for you! They can't fulfill you! A husband that loves you, kids that worship you, that isn't enough. You need a career, you need excitement, you need to find you! So you leave them! Then what, huh? What do you think happens then?" Russ grasped Katrina's wrists so hard, she gasped in pain.

"Russ,"

"Shut up!"

"Russ, did your mom leave you?" Katrina asked.

"Do you know what happened to us? Do you?" Russ was inches from her face, screaming at her. His eyes dazed and Katrina knew he wasn't seeing her, but the face of a mother that had obviously abandoned him.

"Dad couldn't function without you. He started drinking all the time. He beat Joey and I every day because he blamed us for your leaving. What did we do? I tried to be a good boy! I swear I did! I know we ripped holes in our pants and we fought with each other too much. I know you'd cry because we'd get in trouble at school. But if you'd have just given us a chance we could've been better," Russ was crying now, tears streaming down his soot blackened cheeks.

"Russ, I'm so sorry for what you went through," Katrina tried to get through to him, but he wasn't hearing her words.

"When you left, there weren't any more hot meals. Not until Joey learned to cook anyway. It didn't matter much though, when dad lost his job, there wasn't much food to make anyway. I don't blame Joey for running away when he turned sixteen. He lied about his age and joined the army. He died in Vietnam. I was there when they came to notify dad. I seriously doubt he even remembered he had another son by that point. The only reason he remembered me was because he beat me with that stupid belt every time he ran out of liquor. It's your fault Joey died. Because being a mom wasn't enough for you; because having sons who worshipped you meant nothing to you! You should've been the one who died; and now you will be," Russ said, his voice taking on a very calm tone.

"Russ, Russ, listen to me. I am NOT your mom. I'm not leaving any children to do this job. I don't have a husband or children," Katrina tried to reason with him.

Russ blinked and looked at Katrina. His eyes clearing. "It doesn't matter; you're just like her. The idea of being a wife and mother isn't enough for you. You don't care about traditional family values; you just care about yourself."

"Russ, I don't think the family has to be sacrificed in order for the woman to hold a job. Yes, it means some things have to change, but it doesn't mean marriage and a family have to end. I think a woman can have both a career and a family. Your mom could've worked while you were in school, or paid a neighbor to watch you for a few hours while she worked. She and your dad could've made an arrangement where he helped with the housework and she helped with some bills. I'm sorry for the way your home turned out, but it didn't have to be that way," Katrina argued.

"Women are going to look up to you, they're gonna wanna be like you. But not if you're an example of tragedy. Then they won't want to be like you. You're gonna make a grave mistake Katrina, that gets a lot of people injured. You're going to be a stellar example of why woman shouldn't be allowed to be firefighters," Russ said, as he turned her and pushed her toward the paint research area.

"Do you see that large vat? It's filled with methylene chloride. It's a volatile liquid that you're going to accidently release into this fire. There's enough liquid in that vat to fill this entire section of the plant in a matter of a couple of minutes. When the flames hit that liquid, the whole section of this plant will go up like a fireball, killing everyone in it and severely injuring anyone else in the adjacent sections of building," Russ pulled her hands up the knob to open the valve and forced her to grip it.

"I'm not gonna do this," Katrina said, balling her hands into fists.

Russ pulled rope out of his pocket and quickly tied Katrina to the vat. "You don't have to actually do it, Katrina. The fact that your body will be found near the vat will be enough to get rumors started. After all, how else could the chloride have been released," Russ laughed as he tied a second rope to the handle. "See how when I tug on the rope, it causes the valve to open? All I have to do is get far enough away, open the valve and drop the rope. Both ropes will be destroyed in the fire. All anyone will know is somehow the valve for the methylene chloride was opened and your body was found near the valve. I can see the headlines now, "Woman firefighter responsible for dozens of deaths and injuries in paint factory fire". You'll be the first and last female LA County Firefighter, that's for sure."

"Russ don't do this, think of how many firemen will be injured, or worse."

"They should've protested your hiring more. It serves them right." Russ walked away, letting out the rope as he distanced himself from the vat.

E

"H-T 36, do you read me? The fire's starting to spread into section F. Have you finished clearing it? You need to get outta there," Johnny waited for a response to come over the H-T.

"Katrina, can you hear me?" Johnny repeated. No response.

"Captain Gage to Josh and Kory, have you finished clearing sections J and I?"

"10-4, we're on our way out now. Two additional victims, but they're ambulatory," Josh responded.

"Have you seen Katrina? She isn't responding?"

"Negative," Josh replied.

"Captain Gage, my men say K is clear. They're pulling out to start helping fight down the fire in Section E. Section F has vats of Methylene Chloride; we need to keep the fire from reaching that section."

"Is Russ going with them?" Johnny asked, scanning the building, looking for any signs of Katrina among the sea of turnouts and helmets.

"Russ isn't with them," Captain Morgan said.

"Whatdya mean, Russ isn't with them? Are you sure?"

"I'll double check," Captain Morgan keyed the H-T. "H-T 24, is the linesman from 36 with you?"

"Negative, Cap," came the response.

Johnny felt a shiver run down his spine. Russ was the one after Katrina, he knew it, deep in his gut, he knew it was Russ.

"Katrina, answer me," Johnny said into the H-T, now scanning the perimeter for Captain Hookraider. Johnny saw him and began to jog over to him. Roy saw Johnny moving toward Captain Hookraider and took off to join him.

"Russ never joined 24s linesmen in Section K. Katrina's not answering on the H-T. She was alone in Section F; I think she's in trouble," Roy heard Johnny saying, when he reached him.

"We've got to stop this fire in Section E. I can't spare any men to go searching Section F for your missing paramedic, on the gut feeling that she's in trouble," Captain Hookraider said.

"Let me go," Johnny said.

"I'll go with him. We can take a look at the condition of Section F while we're in there. If there are vats of Methylene Chloride you're gonna need a report on their stability in this heat anyway," Roy reasoned.

Captain Hookraider looked over at the plant, flames still lighting the dark sky. "Go!"

Johnny and Roy took off toward the building, pulling on their face masks and adjusting their helmets as they ran. Johnny pulled open the metal door that would give him access to Section F. The building was starting to fill with smoke and he could feel the difference in the air temperature compared to the cooler outside air.

"Keep an eye out for Russ too," Johnny shouted to Roy.

"Let's head over to the vats first; make sure they're stable," Roy said.

Johnny and Roy moved in unison toward the vats of methylene chloride. They started seeing water on the floor, moving toward them like it was being poured from somewhere. Johnny and Roy exchanged a glance. Roy pulled off a glove and touched the liquid with his fingers, pulling up his air mask and sniffing. "Smells like chloroform."

"Methylene Chloride, do you think a vat ruptured?" Johnny asked, increasing his pace.

Roy lifted the H-T. "H-T 51, we have methylene chloride leaking out onto the floor. Evacuate the buildings and clear the area. The liquid is spreading fast, we're not gonna be able to avoid an explosion."

Johnny and Roy kept moving toward the center for Section F, where the vats were located. They knew they should evacuate, but they both knew they wouldn't leave until they found Katrina. Johnny pointed out the end of a rope. They started following the rope as it snaked along the floor, leading them deeper into Section F.

Johnny spotted her first. Katrina was desperately trying to use her boot to close the valve that was pouring methylene chloride from a large vat. She was tied with another rope to the same vat, but too far from the valve to reach it with her hands.

Roy rushed to turn off the valve while Johnny began to untie Katrina. "What happened?" Johnny asked her.

"Russ, he's trying to blow up the plant and blame it on me. He wants people to think that a female was responsible for all the deaths and injuries it would cause. We've got to get outta here," Katrina said, trying to pull her wrists to help Johnny free her.

"We already advised command about the leak; they're evacuating the site. We've got to get out of here and find Russ," Johnny said, finally freeing her from the constraints.

The three of them began to run back the way they'd come; hoping they could beat the spreading liquid before it made contact with the flames already burning in Section E. As they cleared the large metal door, Johnny noted the empty area before them that had previously been teeming with firefighters and equipment crisscrossing the pavement as the firefighters had fought to salvage some of the plant. He grabbed Katrina's arm and glanced to make sure Roy was with them. The three of them quickly making their way toward the nearest fire engine that would provide some protection from burning debris when the plant erupted.

There were precious seconds to spare as the threesome ducked behind Engine 36 and the first explosion rocked the ground as the flammable liquid oozed into the flames. The sizzling sound filled the air as the flames raced along the length of the liquid and reached the vats filled with hundreds of gallons of the material before a second explosion caused the fire engines to shake from the force of the blast.

Johnny grabbed Katrina, pushing her further down to the ground, his body covering hers. Firefighters everywhere covered their heads with arms protected by their turnouts as burning debris passed beyond the parking lot barrier and landed past the fire engines. Bodies crowded close to the shelter provided by the fire equipment as they waited for the explosions to stop.

After several large explosions, Johnny sat up, allowing Katrina to sit up and look around. Burning debris littered the area as far as she could see; black smoke was wafting over them, making it difficult to see the firemen only a few feet from her.

The orders started coming across the H-Ts, ordering teams of men to get back toward the plant and start knocking down the flames. Johnny grabbed Katrina's arm and pulled her to her feet. He walked her a short distance to where Ken was already manning the controls on Engine 36; giving Jeff and Chuck water to battle the blaze.

"Stay with Ken," Johnny ordered.

"No way," Katrina protested. "There's a lot of injured people and I'm a paramedic. I've got to go find out where they're setting up the triage area."

"We don't know where Russ is, you stay with Ken."

"I've got a job to do, same as you," Katrina argued back.

"I'll keep an eye on her."

Johnny and Katrina turned to look at Kory. "I just talked to Captain Hookraider, they're triaging on the east side of the building. I'll keep an eye on her, Captain Gage."

"Katrina, you stay in the triage area. You make sure Kory knows where you are and that you're in his line of sight," Johnny said, knowing he needed to go do his job.

"Yes, Captain Gage," Katrina said, already starting to move with Kory over to the triage area.

It was still several more hours before the fire was extinguished and the area was overhauled to make sure a secondary fire wouldn't start in the ashes. All the paramedics were busy and made multiple runs to Rampart with victims. Kory was true to his word; he always kept Katrina in his sight and when she left by ambulance to Rampart, he either followed in the Squad, or was in another ambulance right behind her.

"I'm starving," Johnny said to Roy, as they made their way back toward the Engines. They'd just finished walking through what was left of Section J of the building to make sure there were no more hotspots.

"Me too," Roy agreed, feeling his stomach pull in from hunger.

"What do you say we go back to our respective stations, clean-up and meet somewhere for breakfast?" Johnny suggested.

"Breakfast, did I hear someone mention going to get breakfast?" Pat said, joining the two men.

"I could really go for some steak and eggs," Josh said, walking up behind the group.

"I LOVE steak and eggs," Kory said, overhearing the conversation. "Katrina?"

"I'm not much for steak for breakfast, but I'd love an omelet, hash browns and bacon," Katrina agreed.

Johnny looked at his watch, "Shirley's at 10:30 AM?"

Everyone agreed that sounded great and headed back to their stations to shower, change and hand-off to the C shift crews that were taking over.

E

"Hank, c'mon in, have a seat," Chief McConnike said, when his secretary announced Captain Stanley was there to see him.

"Thanks, Chief," Captain Stanley said, entering the office and fitting his tall frame into one of the chairs across from the desk.

"What can I do for you?'

"I want you to transfer Katrina Conrad out of Station 36 to either Station 101 with Roy DeSoto or to Station 51 with me," Captain Stanley said, meeting Chief McConnike's gaze.

"Hank, maybe you haven't heard. They now know Russ was the person trying to hurt her. He tried to cause a horrible accident at the paint factory fire last night and blame her. He's on the run, but it's just a matter of time before the police find him. She's no longer in danger."

"I still want her transferred," Captain Stanley said, not missing a beat. Roy had called him early that morning and filled him in on the events of the evening.

Chief McConnike's eyes narrowed. "I was already very clear with Roy; I'm not transferring her out of Johnny's station."

"You put her in Johnny's station knowing full well they'd had a personal relationship and shouldn't be paired together. You and I both know you did it on purpose; hoping they couldn't keep their relationships platonic and you could fire Katrina. The fact that it would screw up John's career is just collateral damage to you."

"What are you accusing me off, Hank?" Chief McConnike asked, an innocent expression on his face.

"You know full well what I'm accusing you of. I haven't forgotten why I torched your hat; have you?"

"You'd better tread lightly son," Chief McConnike warned. "You're bordering on insubordination."

"Not this time, Chief. I'm not some young, scared boot anymore. I'm a seasoned Captain, with an impeccable service record and I will not let you sabotage John Gage's career because you can't get past your bigoted attitude. You may not like the fact that women are moving into careers in the fire department, but you aren't going to be able to stop it. The same way you couldn't keep an all-white station all those years ago."

"I never did anything to Leroy," Chief McConnike protested.

"Except made him watch his house burn to the ground, while he protected the homes of his white neighbors. I was there, I know we could have saved his house, and not lost any of the neighboring homes either. I mean it, I won't let you do this."

"That sounds like a threat, Hank," Chief McConnike said, standing up from his chair.

Captain Stanley stood, towering over the much shorter Chief. "Take it any way you want. But, if you don't transfer Katrina Conrad from Johnny's station; I'll go above your head. Or to the press; whichever I feel I need to do." Hank left the office before Chief McConnike could say another word.

E

"I knew you'd come," Johnny said, as he watched Katrina land on the sand from her descent down the cliff. "I wasn't sure if you'd rappel in or come in on your surfboard; but I knew you'd come."

"And I knew you'd be here," Katrina said softly.

"You don't work for me anymore," Johnny said, moving closer to her. He reached out and touched her hand; feeling a bit unsure.

Katrina said nothing, her throat felt tight and she was suddenly very nervous.

Johnny moved closer, sliding his hand up her arm. Her skin was so soft. He ran his hand across her shoulder and wrapped it around the back of her neck, his fingers extending into her hair.

Katrina couldn't seem to catch her breath.

"Kat," Johnny whispered her name.

She looked up and met his brown eyes. She stepped forward, eliminating what little space had remained between them. She felt his other hand wrap around her waist and he pulled her tight against his body.

Katrina closed her eyes as he dropped his head. She felt his lips touch hers, and a shiver ran down her body. He responded by holding her tighter and deepening their kiss. Katrina slipped her arms around his neck and entwined her fingers into his thick black hair.

Johnny slipped his hand underneath the back of her shirt and felt her warm skin against his hand. Any reservations he felt about meeting her disappeared as all logical thought left his brain and his desire for her took over.

He moved her back a couple of steps, so she was leaning against a rock, pressing his body tightly against hers.

He slid his hands down to the hem of her shirt, swiftly lifting it over her head, revealing a bikini top. He let his eyes roam over her body for just a second before resuming their kiss. She could feel his need as he pressed against her.

Katrina withdrew from the kiss just long enough to unbutton his shirt. She let her hands run down his arms and she slipped his shirt off and let it drop into the sand. Her hands roamed over his chiseled chest, enjoying the smoothness. She really didn't like chest hair. Johnny was smooth and tanned. She let her hands run lower down his body, stopping at the waist of his pants. She looked up and met his eyes as he moaned softly.

"I want you so badly," he whispered.

Katrina moved to resume their kiss, pressing herself tightly against him. She understood the desire he felt, feeling an overwhelming need to be close to him. Katrina pressed closer, fitting their bodies together, not feeling like she was could get close enough.

Johnny lowered her to the ground, laying her down on a beach towel he had laid out earlier. His body covered hers, as he pulled her into another passionate kiss. They kissed for several minutes, the passion they had for each other leading them to let their hands explore each other.

Johnny began to wonder how far he was willing to take this. The cove was secluded, but it was still technically out in the open. He lifted his head, from where he had been kissing Kat's neck and noticed that her eyes were open and she was looking off to the side. "Hey, are you okay? Am I moving too fast?"

Katrina attempted to smile. "No, it's wonderful, Johnny."

Johnny tried to resume kissing her, but he could definitely tell she wasn't as into it as he wanted her to be. "Okay," he said, rolling to his side. "What's up?"

"Sorry," Katrina said, rolling on her side to face him. "I really am enjoying kissing you. I just…"

Katrina sat up, looking out over the water.

Johnny sat up and ran his fingers down her spine. "Just what?"

"It's a little deep to talk about at this stage of, well, of whatever we are," Katrina shrugged.

"I think before anything else, we're friends."

"I keep thinking about Russ," Katrina said.

"I can understand that, it's got to be hard facing that someone you knew wanted to kill you."

"No, no that's not it. He was thinking I was his mom. He was telling me what his life was like after she left. Letting me know that by joining the fire department, I was going to be causing women to abandon their families."

"Katrina, you're not Russ's mom and you're not responsible for single handedly destroying the American family," Johnny chuckled.

Katrina stood up, and walked a few feet away. "Not single handedly, but a factor."

"That isn't what I meant," Johnny protested.

"But it's what you said," Katrina looked at him. "And maybe you're right."

Katrina rubbed her face and ran her hands down her neck. "Ugh! I guess I never gave it too much thought. I never thought I wouldn't get married; but I've never been the woman planning what her wedding would be like either. It isn't that I don't want kids, but I'm certainly in no hurry to have them. I don't even like holding other people's babies."

"There's nothing wrong with not being ready to settle down and wanting to have a little fun," Johnny gave her his famous crooked smile.

"But, what about when that changes. What if we have more than physical attraction between us Johnny and we decide we want to take our relationship to the next step? How would you feel about being married to a woman with a career? What about kids; I don't want to stop working? Are you okay having someone else watch the baby while we're both on shift? Or do we work opposite shifts and see each other less?"

"Uh," Johnny took a step back, a faint look of panic in his eyes.

"That's why I didn't want to talk about this. It's way too early in our relationship to have these conversations, but I can't get Russ's words out of my head."

Johnny looked over at Katrina. She looked really worried.

"This really has you upset doesn't it?" Johnny moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Do I have to give up my career to have a husband and family? Or give up the idea of husband and family to have a career?" Katrina asked him quietly, her eyes meeting his.

"Or find a guy who can flow with the changing times and work out a new paradigm with you," Johnny said, changing his voice to sound hip and cool.

Katrina laughed at his attempt, and gave him a quick squeeze. "Is that really possible Johnny? And I don't necessarily mean between you and I, because I know we'd both agree it's too early to be thinking that seriously yet. But, do you really think that a woman can have it all?"

Johnny thought about it for a few minutes. "I think that no one can have it all. We all make choices; decide what's a higher priority. Personally, I think having a wife who's doing something she loves, which would make her happier; is more important than whether or not the kids have a babysitter while mom and dad are at work. Now, whether we'd work opposite shifts to decrease the outside childcare or value family time as the higher priority, is something we'd have to discuss when the time came. Maybe it would be one way when they're babies and more vulnerable and then change when they got older."

"Did you just think of that?" Katrina asked, impressed by his insight.

"No," Johnny said sheepishly. "I started thinking about it after listening to you describe what happened with Russ to Lieutenant Crockett. I like you, Kat. I'm not sure what that means for our future, but I know it means I want to think about the pros and cons of a relationship with you."

Katrina stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Me too."

"Then, let's just agree that we like each other, we want to date each other, and let the rest take a back burner for a while," Johnny said, starting to kiss her neck again.

Katrina eagerly returned his kiss when he made his way up to her lips. Letting herself put away the all the what ifs and maybes and just let herself get lost in how Johnny made her feel.


	19. Chapter 19

**Six Months Later**

"Hey, Johnny, Kat, glad you could make it," Chet called from his position manning the grill. He was flipping burgers under Marco's watchful eye.

"Hi, guys! I can't believe you're letting Chet near the barbeque after what happened a couple of months ago," Johnny quipped.

"He's being closely supervised by Marco," Mike said, coming over to take the bowl of taco salad from Katrina. He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "How ya doin'?"

"Great, Mike. Are the ladies in the house?" Katrina looked around seeing Roy and Hank, but no sign of Joanne or Beth.

"Yeah, just finishing up final touches on some of the food," Mike said, heading toward a table already laden with all kinds of goodies. He added Katrina's taco salad to the other side dishes.

Katrina gave Johnny a quick kiss and headed toward the house.

"I guess Katrina's decided to be one of the ladies this evening," Beth said, smiling as she saw the young blonde headed toward the house.

"It's gotta be a little weird for her. I mean she's one of the guys; but she's not. Where does she go at an event like this? All the guys are talking shop; but she's one of them and that's her life. But, the other women, meaning us, are in the house getting the food ready. But, she seems to be doing a good job of finding a balance that works for her," Joanne said, as Katrina made her way up the deck stairs.

"Hi, Kat," Beth greeted her as she opened the door.

"Hi, Beth, Joanne. Can I do anything to help?" Katrina asked.

"Bored of the work talk already?" Joanne teased.

"After our last shift, I'd be quite happy not saying a word about work for the next two weeks."

"That's right, you and Johnny are on vacation as of now, aren't you?" Joanne asked, remembering Roy had told her Johnny and Katrina were going to fly to Florida to spend the Holidays with Katrina's family.

"Yes, and I am so ready for it," Katrina said, starting to put the various types of cut up fruit into a bowl for fruit salad.

"Are your parents excited?" Beth asked.

"They are. My sister-in-law is due to have her baby any day now. They keep teasing Johnny that they're gonna make him deliver it to keep his paramedic skills sharp," Katrina laughed, looking out into the yard where Johnny appeared to be giving Chet trouble at the grill.

"Have they all met him before?" Beth asked.

"Yes, they came to California a few months ago and we went camping. Johnny hit it off great with my dad and brothers, they're all cut from the same cloth. Firemen that love to camp and fish. We even left them for a day for a much needed ladies trip to the spa," Katrina smiled, remembering how Johnny hadn't batted an eye at the idea of being left alone with her dad and brothers. She honestly doubted he'd even missed her. Although he'd held her tight and kissed her several times telling her that he had indeed missed her when she returned.

"I think that does it," Joanne said, placing the final slice of tomato on a tray of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles to top the burgers.

Beth grabbed the various bottles of condiments and Katrina carried out the fruit salad. After the burgers were removed from the grill and everyone had gone through the line to fill up plates of food the group sat down at a large round table Mike had set up.

"I love your new place, Mike," Joanne said, looking out across the expansive yard and all the weeping willow trees.

"Thanks, I'm really enjoying being a homeowner," Mike said, after he'd finished chewing his bite.

"That reminds me, I want to get the name of your realtor," Johnny said, not waiting to swallow his bite. Katrina just shook her head.

"You lookin' to buy a house?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, and this time I'm not gonna sell it to Roy," Johnny laughed.

"Hey, I saw the house first," Roy protested.

"At least I still get to visit it," Johnny said.

"Katrina, did you hear they sentenced Russ yesterday?" Chet asked.

"I did. Twenty years is a long time." Katrina said.

"I don't think so. He tried to kill you. Attempted murder, assault and battery and arson for his role in the explosions at the paint plant. I think the guy got off easy," Johnny said. He still didn't like thinking how close he'd come to losing Katrina.

"I heard your testimony actually kept the sentence from being worse. How come you did it?" Marco asked.

"It's about being able to look myself in the mirror," Katrina said, looking thoughtful. "Russ's childhood sounds like something out of a horror movie. I can't help feeling bad for him."

"Hopefully, he'll get some help to deal with his issues while he's in there," Joanne said.

"Did you hear two females were admitted into the next class at the academy?" Chet asked.

"I did," Katrina said, cocking her head to look at Hank Stanley. "You didn't happen to have anything to do with that, now did you, Chief?"

Hank chuckled. "Well what good is being Chief, if you can't use it to implement some changes?"

"I still can't believe Chief McConnike retired," Roy said.

"I'm glad he did. Knowing he was intentionally sabotaging Katrina's career and didn't care that he might take mine down along with it, didn't have me feeling very inspired to follow the man's leading," Johnny said, spooning some of Katrina's taco salad on his plate.

"I'm glad he finally recognized that he wasn't able to change with the times and let a younger man assume the role," Beth said, smiling proudly at her husband.

"It's definitely been different. I love being home every night, but I miss being in a station. There's an energy in that environment, you just don't get downtown."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I will always think of 51s Captain's office as your office," Mike said.

"Yeah, sure you will. I stopped by 51s last week, but the station was out on a run. You've already changed that office so much I barely recognized it, Captain Stoker."

Mike smiled.

"How is your new crew, Mike?" Roy asked.

"A bunch of stick in the muds," Chet complained.

"They're good. But, they do not tolerate any crap from the Phantom," Mike said.

"I miss our old gang," Chet said, a pout apparent under his thick mustache.

"Well, maybe you won't have to worry about it much longer. Don't the results of the Engineer's test come out tomorrow," Chief Stanley said, knowing full well that they did.

"Fat chance I've got," Chet said, his tone miserable.

"You studied really hard, Chet. I'm sure you did great. You helped me study before I took it and look how well I did," Marco said. He'd been promoted to Engineer with 16s three months ago.

"I don't know," Chet said, his eyes downcast.

"If you breathe a word of this before the results are released tomorrow, I'll throttle you Kelly," Chief Stanley began. "But, I saw the list today. Congratulations Engineer Kelly, you scored number 2 on the list."

"Number 2?" Roy said, incredulously.

"Are you kidding me?" Chet looked up, his eyes wide.

"Congratulations, Chet," voices rang out from the circle.

"Number 2, Cap, I mean, Chief, are you sure?" Chet asked, still astounded at what he was hearing.

"Yeah, I'm sure and I couldn't be prouder of you," Chief Stanley said. "Of all of you. Johnny, Roy and Mike are now Captains, Marco and Chet are Engineers, Katrina, you were the first female firefighter/paramedic and just won the award for courage above and beyond the call of duty last month."

Johnny smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I'm super proud of my lady."

Katrina blushed. "Thanks. I just love that I get to do the greatest job in the world and have a great group of guys to do it with."

"Don't forget to the best Captain too," Roy said.

"Hey, you're not a better Captain than me," Johnny protested.

"Or me," Mike chimed in.

"Katrina?" Roy said looking over at her.

"Sorry guys, I've got to go with Captain DeSoto; after all, he's my boss."

Johnny slid his arm down and started to tickle her. "What? You're saying Roy's a better Captain than me,"

Katrina laughed, almost falling out of her chair.

"He has the ability to assign me latrine duty, you don't. Sorry, Handsome, but I'm sticking with my answer."

"Geez, the loyalty I get from my fiancée," Johnny scoffed.

"Fiancée'?!" Several people reacted to Johnny's use of the word.

Katrina smacked his arm. "Really? What happened to we're gonna tell my family first?"

Johnny shrugged. "So, we told my family first."

"You guys are really getting married?" Roy asked.

Katrina's face lit up with a huge smile. "He asked me last night."

"And she foolishly said yes," Johnny added, grinning from ear to ear.

"Congratulations, John," Hank stood up and offered his hand to Johnny.

"Oh, Katrina, I'm so happy for you," Joanne moved to give her a hug. Katrina stood up and hugged Joanne and then Beth. Pretty soon all the guys were up and hugging her, giving her a kiss on the cheek, slapping Johnny on the back.

"Have you guys thought of a date yet?" Joanne asked.

"Not yet. We're thinking next Fall. But, I want a chance to talk to my family; make sure they can all come out. We are definitely doing it here in California," Katrina said.

"Well, my catering business will be up and running by then, so you should use me for the reception. I'll give you a good price," Marco smiled.

"Marco, you're gonna leave the fire department?" Hank asked.

"No, no way," Marco said, shaking his head. "I found a partner. Her name is Rosa. We're gonna take big jobs on the days I'm off; but she'll be able to handle small affairs and the day to day business stuff while I'm on shift. She's a great cook. We licensed the name yesterday, Fireside Catering," Marco said proudly.

"Marco, that's great. I love the name," Katrina said. "We'd love it if you catered our wedding."

"Now, wait just a minute. Don't we want to sample his cooking, try out his menu?" Johnny protested.

"You ate his cooking for seven years, you twit," Hank piped up. The group laughed.

"C'mon, Chief. I can get a free meal out of this," Johnny said, in a stage whisper; which elicited another group laugh.

"I'll still do a menu sampling closer to the date, Johnny. That way you get to sample some of Rosa's delicious treats and make a final decision on menu items," Marco assured him.

"Now that sounds like a plan," Johnny said.

"Katrina, do you have a ring?" Beth asked.

"Yeah, show them the ring," Johnny said. "She's been wearing it around her neck because we planned to keep it a secret and tell her family first."

Katrina unhooked the gold necklace and pulled out a diamond ring from under her shirt.

"It's not very big," Johnny said. "But the diamond is almost flawless."

Katrina handed the ring to Beth and looked back at Johnny. "The ring is perfect. It's exactly what I wanted."

Johnny dropped his head and kissed her lightly on the lips. He loved this woman, she understood his desire to save money and not be frivolous with material purchases. He'd much rather be able to retire when he was still young enough to travel around the world, and have the money set aside to be able to afford to do that. When he'd first told her his goals, she had instantly agreed. She loved the idea of being able to retire in their late 40's and spend years camping across the United States; but she'd added more luxurious trips to Europe and tropical islands to the list. They hadn't decided what the future held for them in terms of children, but Johnny couldn't imagine a future where they didn't have at least two.

"Sorry, Johnny spilled the beans and told us first," Joanne said.

Katrina looked around the group and smiled. "Johnny's right. Telling you all first, is just telling his family first. With the bonus that you're quickly becoming my family too."

"Speaking of that, everyone get your calendars out, we need to schedule our next monthly gathering. Who's hosting?" Beth said.

"Give Katrina and I a couple of months to find a house and we'll host," Johnny said.

"Until that time comes, I'll host next month," Marco said. "I'll invite Rosa to join us and you can all meet her and taste her cooking."

Katrina looked over at the smile on Marco's face. "Is there a possibility Rosa may become more than just a business partner," she teased.

Marco blushed slightly. "Maybe."

"Next month at Marco's place. I can't wait to check out his girl," Chet agreed.

The group stayed and chatted a few more hours. The group was heading toward the cars, but Johnny lingered back just slightly, watching all of them walking. A few weeks into his new promotion and he'd felt like he'd lost his family, the men of the station had seemed so distant and his social calendar had been dwindling down to nothing. Now, even though their lives had moved forward and the A Shift Crew of Station 51 now looked very different, these men were still his family; there bond just as strong now as it had been when they'd all been shift mates. He smiled as he heard Katrina's laugh floating across the air because of something Beth or Joanne had said to her. He was going to enjoy spending his life with her.

Roy looked back and stopped walking, waiting for Johnny to catch up to him. "A penny for your thoughts."

"I was just thinking how much things have changed, and yet, we're all still here," Johnny said.

"With a very important addition," Roy added.

"Yeah, a year ago if you'd have told me that we were gonna be Captain's, Mike was going to be promoted to Captain, Marco and Chet engineers, Cap, the new Chief and I'd be engaged," Johnny shook his head. "I'd have run for the hills."

Roy smiled and shook his head. "As long as you knew we'd still be a family, you'd have been fine, Junior."

"That is all that matters," Johnny said, slapping Roy on the back. "Pally."


End file.
